
Glass 
Book. 



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OEEGON AND ELDORADO. 



OREGON AND ELDORADO ; 



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OB, 



ROMANCE OF THE RIVERS. 



THOMAS BULFINCH, 

AUTHOR OF "the AGE OF FABLE," "THE AGE OF CHIVALRY," ETC 



..^fTyC YOP C( 



BOSTON: 

J. E. TILTON AND COMPANY. 

1866. 



.7' 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the j'car 1866, by 

THOMAS BULFINCH, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



STEREOTYPED BY C. J. PETERS AND SON. 



PRINTED BY GEORGE C. RAND AND AVERY. 



PREFACE. 



When one observes attentively the maps of 
South and North America, no feature appears 
more striking than the provision which Nature 
seems to have made, in both continents, for wa- 
ter-communication across the breadth of each. 
In tlie Northern continent, this channel of com- 
munication is formed by the Missouri and Co- 
lumbia Rivers, which stretch over an extent of 
three thousand miles, interrupted only by the 
ridge of the Rocky Mountains. In the Southern 
continent, the River Amazon, in its path from 
the Andes to the sea, traverses a course of thir- 
ty-three hundred miles. In both cases, a few 
hundred miles of land-carriage will complete the 
transit from ocean to ocean. The analogy pre- 
sented in the length and direction of these mag- 
nificent water-pathways is preserved in their 
history. A series of romantic adventures attach- 



X PREFACE. 

es to each. I indulge the hope, that young read- 
ers who have so favorably received my former at- 
tempts to amuse and instruct them, in my several 
works reviving the fabulous legends of remote 
ages, will find equally attractive these true nar- 
ratives of bold adventui-e, w] iose date is compara- 
tively recent. Moreover, their scenes are laid, in 
the one instance, in our own country ; and, in the 
other, in that great and rising empire of Brazil 
to which our distinguished naturalist. Prof Agas- 
siz, has gone on a pilgrimage of science. It will 
enable us better to appreciate the discoveries and 
observations which the professor will lay before 
us on his return, to know something beforehand 
of the history and peculiarities of the region which 
is the scene of his labors ; and, on the other hand, 
the route across the North-American continent, 
to which the first part of the volume relates, de- 
rives increased interest, at this time, from the 
fact that it nearly corresponds to the route of 
the contemplated Northern Pacific Railroad. 

Boston, June, 1866. T. B. 



CONTENTS. 



OREGON. 



CHAPTER I. 
Discovery of Columbia River 1 

CHAPTER n. 
Lewis and Clarke 14 

CHAPTER m. 
The Siodx 23 

CHAPTER IV. 
Summary of Travel to Winter-Quarters 33 

CHAPTER V. 
Indlln Tribes 45 

CHAPTER VL 
The March REsiraiEO 57 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Jourkey continued 85 

xi 



xu CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
The Sources of the Missouia and Columbia .... 97 

CHAPTER IX. 
The Pauty in the Boats 107 

CHAPTER X. 
The Descent of the Columbia 120 

CHAPTER XL 
Clarke's Rivee 131 

CHAPTER Xn. 

KOOSKOOSKEE RiVER 147 

CHAPTER Xm. 
Winter-Quarters • 176 

CHAPTER XIV. 
A New Yf^r 187 

CHAPTER XV. 
Winter Lifr 197 

CHAPTER XVI. 
The Return 210 

CHAPTER XVn. 
The Rocky Mountains 230 

CHAPTER XVm. 
Capt. Ci^vrke's Route down the Yellowstone . • • 241 



CONTENTS. 



ELDORADO. 



CHAPTER I. 
The Discovert 255 

CHAPTER n. 
Oeeixajsa descends the Kiveb ........ 265 

CHAPTER m. 
Orellana's Adventure continued 275 

CHAPTER IV. 
Siu Walter Raleigh 285 

CHAPTER V. 
Raleigh's First Expedition 293 

CHAPTER VI. 
Raleigh's Adventures continued 307 

CHAPTER VII. 
Raleigh's Second Expedition 316 

CHAPTER VHI. 
The French Philosophers 326 



XIV CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IX. 
Madame Godin's Voyage down the Amazon , , . . 339 

CHAPTER X. 
Madame Godin's Voyage continued 849 

CHAPTER XI. 
Hekndon's Expedition 361 

CHAPTER XU. 
Hekndon's Expedition continued 373 

CHAPTER XUI. 
Herndon's Expedition continued 887 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Herndon's Expedition concluded 896 

CHAPTER XV. 
Latest Explorations 404 

CHAPTER XVI. 
The Naturalist on the Ajviazon 427 

CHAPTER XVn. 
Animated Nature .......... 446 



OREGON. 



OREGON. 



CHAPTEE I. 

DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 

A FEW years ago, there was still standing in 
Bowdoin Square, Boston, opposite the Revere 
House, an ancient mansion, since removed to make 
room for the granite range called the Coolidge Build 
ing. In that mansion, then neither old nor inelegant, 
but, on the contrary, having good pretensions to rank 
among the principal residences of the place, was as- 
sembled, in the year 1787, a group, consisting of the 
master of iJhe mansion, Dr. Bulfinch, his only son 
Charles, and Joseph Barrell, their neighbor, an emi- 
nent merchant of Boston. The conversation turned 
upon the topic of the day, — the voyages and discov- 
eries of Capt, Cook, the account of which had lately 
been published. The brilliant achievements of Capt. 
Cook, his admirable qualities, and his sad fate (slain 
by the chance stroke of a Sandwich-Islander, in a sud- 



5i OREGON. 

den brawl which arose between the sailors and the 
natives), — these formed the current of the conversa- 
tion ; till at last it changed, and turned more upon the 
commercial aspects of the subject. Mr. Barrell was 
particularly struck with what Cook relates of the 
abundance of valuable furs offered by the natives of 
the country in exchange for beads, knives, and other 
trifling commodities valued by them. The remark of 
Capt. Cook respecting the sea-otter was cited : — 

" This animal abounds here : the fur is softer and 
finer than that of any other we know of; and therefore 
the discovery of this part of the continent, where so 
valuable an article of commerce may be met with, 
cannot be a matter of indifference." He adds in a note, 
" The sea-otter skins are sold by the Russians to the 
Chinese at from sixteen to twenty pounds each." 

Mr. Barrell remarked, " There is a rich harvest to 
be reaped there by those who shall first go in." The 
idea thus suggested was followed out in future con- 
versations at the doctor's fireside, admitting other con- 
genial spirits to the discussion, and resulted in the 
equipping of an expedition consisting of two vessels, 
the ship " Columbia" and sloop "Washington," to make 
the proposed adventure. The partners in the enter- 
prise were Joseph Barrell, Samuel Brown, Charles Bui- 



DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 3 

finch, John Derby, Crowell Hatch, and J. M. Pintard. 
So important was the expedition deemed by the adven- 
turers themselves, that they caused a medal to be 
struck, bearing on one side a representation of the two 
vessels under sail, and on the other the names of the 
parties to the enterprise. Several copies of this med- 
al were made both in bronze and silver, and distri- 
buted to public bodies and distinguished individuals. 
One of these medals lies before the writer as he pens 
these lines. A representation is subjoined : — 




The expedition was also provided with sea-letters, 
issued by the Federal Government agreeably to a re- 
solution of Congress, and with passports from the State 
of Massachusetts ; and they received letters from the 
Spanish minister plenipotentiary in the United States, 
recommending them to the attention of the authorities 
of his nation on the Pacific coast. 



4 OREGON. 

The " Columbia " was commanded by John Kendrick, 
to whom was intrusted the general control of the 
expedition. The master of the " Washington " was 
Robert Gray. 

The two vessels sailed together from Boston on the 
30th of September, 1787 : thence they proceeded to 
the Cape Verde Islands, and thence to the Falkland 
Islands, in each of which groups they procured re- 
freshments. In January, 1788, they doubled Cape 
Horn ; immediately after which they were separated 
during a violent gale. The " Washington," continuing 
her course through the Pacific, made the north-west 
coast in August, near the 46th degree of latitude. 
Here Capt. Gray thought he perceived indications of 
the mouth of a river ; but he was unable to ascertain 
the fact, in consequence of his vessel having grounded, 
and been attacked by the savages, who killed one of 
his men, and wounded the mate. But she escaped 
without further injur}^, and, on the 17th of September, 
reached Nootka Sound, which had been agreed upon 
as the port of re-union in case of separation. The " Co- 
lumbia" did not enter the sound until some days 
afterward. 

The two vessels spent their winter in the sound ; 
where the " Columbia" also lay during the following 



DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 5 

summer, collecting furs, while Capt. Gray, in the 
" Washington," explored the adjacent waters. On his 
return to Nootka, it was agreed upon between the 
two captains that Kendrick should take command of 
the sloop, and remain on the coast, while Gray, in the 
"Columbia," should carry to Canton all the furs 
which had been collected by both vessels. This was 
accordingly done ; and Gray arrived on the Qi\\ of De- 
cember at Canton, where he sold his furs, and took in 
a cargo of tea, with which he entered Boston on the 
10th of August, 1790, having carried the flag of the 
United States for the first time round the world. 

Kendrick, immediately on parting with the " Colum- 
bia," proceeded with the " Washington " to the Strait 
of Fuca, through which he sailed, in its whole length, 
to its issue in the Pacific, in lat. 51. To him belongs 
the credit of ascertaining that Nootka and the parts 
adjacent are an island, to which the name of Vancou- 
ver's Island has since been given, which it now re- 
tains. Vancouver was a British commander who fol- 
lowed in the track of the Americans a year later. 
The injustice done to Kendrick by thus robbing him\"' 4^ 
of the credit of his discovery is but one of many simi- 
lar instances ; the greatest of all being that by which 



6 OREGON. 

our contiuent itself bears the name, not of Columbus, 
but of a subsequent navigator. 

Capt. Kendrick, during the time occupied by Gray 
in his return voyage, besides collecting furs, engaged 
in various speculations ; one of which was the collec- 
tion, and transportation to China, of the odoriferous 
wood called " sandal," which grows in many of the 
tropical islands of the Pacific, and is in great demand 
throughout the Celestial Empire, for ornamental fab- 
rics, and also for medicinal purposes. Vancouver pro- 
nounced this scheme chimerical ; but experience has 
shown that it was founded on just calculations, and the 
business has ever since been prosecuted with advan- 
tage, especially by Americans. 

Another of Kendrick's speculations has not hitherto 
produced an}^ fruit. In the summer of 1791, he pur- 
chased from Maquinna, Wicanish, and other Indian 
chiefs, several large tracts of land near Nootka 
Sound, for which he obtained deeds, duly marked by 
those personages, and witnessed by the officers and 
men of the " Washington." Attempts were afterwards 
made by the owners of the vessel to sell these lands 
in London, but no purchasers were found ; and appli- 
cations have since been addressed by the legal repre- 
sentatives of the owners to the Government of the 



DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 7 

United States for a confirmation of the title, but 
hitherto without success. 

Capt. Kendrick lost his life by a singular acci- 
dent. In exchanging salutes with a Spanish vessel 
which they met at the Sandwich Islands, the wad of 
the gun of the Spaniard struck Capt. Kendrick as he 
stood on the deck of his vessel, conspicuous in his 
dress-coat and cocked hat as commander of the expe- 
dition. It was instantly fatal. 

The ship " Columbia" returned to Boston from Can- 
ton under the command of Gray, as already stated, 
arriving on the 10th of August, 1790 ; but the cargo 
of Chinese articles brought by her was insufficient to 
cover the expenses of her voyage : nevertheless her 
owners determined to persevere in the enterprise, and 
refitted the ship for a new voyage of the same kind. 

The " Columbia," under her former captain. Gray, 
left Boston, on her second voyage, on the 28th of Sep- 
tember, 1790, and, without the occurrence of any 
thing worthy of note, arrived at Clyoquot, near the 
entrance of Fuca's Strait, on the 5th of June, 1791. 
There, and in the neighboring waters, she remained 
through the summer and winter following, engaged in 
trading and exploring. In the spring of 1792, Gray 
took his departure in the ship, on a cruise southward, 



8 OREGON. 

along the coast, bent on ascertaining the truth of ap- 
pearances which had led him in the former voyage 
to suspect the existence of a river discharging its wa- 
ters at or about the latitude of 46 degrees. During 
his cruise, he met the English vessels commanded by 
Commodore Vancouver. " On the 29th of April," 
Vancouver writes in his journal, " at four o'clock, a 
sail was discovered to the westward, standing in shore. 
This was a very great novelty, not having seen any 
vessel but our consort during the last eight months. 
She soon hoisted American colors, and fired a gun to 
leeward. At sis, Ave spoke her. She proved to be the 
ship ' Columbia,' commanded by Capt. Robert Gray, 
belonging to Boston, whence she had been absent nine- 
teen months. I sent two of my officers on board to 
acquire such information as might be serviceable in 
our future operations. Capt. Gray informed them of 
his having been off the mouth of a river, in the lati- 
tude of 46 degrees 10 minutes, for nine days ; but the 
outset or reflux was so strong as to prevent his enter- 
ing." 

To this statement of Capt. Gray, Vancouver gave 
little credit. He remarks, '^ I was thoroughly per- 
suaded, as were also most persons of observation on 
board, that we could not have passed any safe naviga- 



DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 9 

ble opening, harbor, or place of security for shipping, 
from Cape Mendocino to Fuca's Strait." 

After parting with the English ships. Gray sailed 
along the coast of the continent southward ; and on 
the 7th of May, 1792, he " saw an entrance which 
had a very good appearance of a harbor." Passing 
through this entrance, he found himself in a bay, 
" well sheltered from the sea by long sand-bars and 
spits," where he remained three days trading with 
the natives, and then resumed his voyage, bestowing 
on the place thus discovered the name of Bulfinch's 
Harbor, in honor of one of the owners of his ship. 
This is noAv known as Gray's Harbor. 

At daybreak on the 11th, after leaving Bulfinch's 
Harbor, Gray observed *' the entrance of his desired 
port, bearing east-south-east, distant six leagues ; and 
running into it with all sails set, between the break- 
ers, he anchored at one o'clock in a large river of 
fresh water, ten miles above its mouth. At this spot 
he remained three days, engaged in trading with the 
natives, and filling his casks with water ; and then 
sailed up the river about twelve miles along its 
northern shore, where, finding that he could proceed 
no farther from having taken the wrong channel, he 
again came to anchor. On the 20th, he recrossed the 



10 OREGON. 

bar at the mouth of the river, and regained the Pa- 
cific. 

On leaving the river, Gray gave it the name of his 
ship, the Columbia, which it still bears. He called 
the southern point of land, at the entrance. Cape 
Adams ; and the northern, Cape Hancock. The for- 
mer of these names retains its place in the maps, the 
latter does not ; the promontory being known as Cape 
Disappointment, — a name it received from Lieut. 
Meares, an English navigator, who, like Capt. Gray, 
judged from appearances that there was the outlet of 
a river at that point, but failed to find it, and recorded 
his failure in the name he assigned to the conspicuous 
headland which marked the place of his fruitless 
search. 

NOTE. 

As the discovery of Columbia River was an event of historical 
importance, the reader will perhaps be gratified to see it as re- 
corded in the words of Capt. Gray himself, copied from his log- 
book as follows : — 

" May 11 (1792), at eight, p.m., the entrance of Bulfineh's 
Harbor bore north, distance four miles. Sent up the main-top- 
gallant yard, and set all sail. At four, a.m., saw the entrance 
of our desired port, bearing east-south-east, distance six leagues ; 
in steering sails, and hauled our wind in shore. At eight, 
A.M., being a little to windward of the entrance of the harbor, 



DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 11 

From the mouth of Columbia River, Gray sailed to 
Nootka Sound, where he communicated his recent 
discoveries to the Spanish commandant. Quadra; to 
whom he also gave charts and descriptions of Bul- 
finch's Harbor, and of the mouth of the Columbia. 
He departed for Canton in September, and thence 
sailed to the United States. 

The voyages of Kendrick and Gray were not profit- 
able to the adventurers, yet not fruitless of benefit to 
their country. They opened the way to subsequent 
enterprises in the same region, which were eminently 
successful. And, in another point of view, these ex- 
peditions were fraught with consequences of the ut- 

bore away, and ran in east-north-cast between the breakers, hav- 

* 
ing from five to seven fathoms of water. When we were over 

the bar, we found this to be a large river of fresh water, up which 
we steered. Many canoes came alongside. At one, p.m., came 
to, with the small bower in ten fothoms black and white sand. 
The entrance between the bars bore west-south-west, distant ten 
miles ; the north side of the river a half-mile distant from the 
ship, the south side of the same two and a half miles dis- 
tance ; a village on the north side of the river, west by north, 
distant three-quarters of a mile. Vast numbers of natives came 
alongside. People employed in pumping the salt water out of 
our water-casks, in order to fill with fresh, while the ship floated 
in. So ends." 



12 OREGON. 

most importance. Gray's discovery of Columbia River 
was the point most relied upon by our negotiators in 
a subsequent era for establishing the claim of the 
United States to the part of the continent through 
which that river flows ; and it is in a great measure 
owing to that discovery that the growing State of 
Oregon is now a part of the American Republic. 

From the date of the discovery of Columbia River 
to the war of 1812, the direct trade between the Ame- 
rican coast and China was almost entirely in the hands 
of the citizens of the United States. The British 
merchants were restrained from pursuing it by the 
opposition of their East-India Company ; the Russians 
were not admitted into Chinese ports ; and few ships 
of any other nation were seen in that part of the 
ocean. The trade was prosecuted by men whose 
names are still distinguished among us as those of the 
master-spirits of American commerce, — the Thorn- 
dikes, the Perkinses, Ltimbs, Sturgis, Cushing, and 
others of Boston, Astor and others of New York. The 
greater number of the vessels sent from the United 
States Avere fine ships or brigs laden with valuable 
cargoes of West-India productions, British manufac- 
tured articles, and French, Italian, and Spanish wines 
and spirits ; and the owners were men of large 



DISCOVERY OF COLUMBIA RIVER. 13 

capital and high reputation in the commercial world, 
some of whom were able to compete with the British 
companies, and even to control their movements. 

During all tliis period, though constant accessions 
were made to the knowledge of the coast by means 
of commercial adventure, the interior of the continent, 
from the Mississippi to the ocean, remained unknown. 
The intercourse of the people of the United States 
with the native tribes was restricted byXseveral 
causes. One was the possession of Louisiana by the 
Spaniards ; another, the retention by the British of 
several important posts south of the Great Lakes, 
within the acknowledged territory of the Union. At 
length, by the treaty of 1794 between Great Britain 
and the United States, those posts were given up to 
the Americans; and by treaty with France, in 1803, 
Louisiana, which had come into possession of that 
power in 1800, was ceded to the United States. 
From this period, the Government and people of the 
United States ceased to be indifferent to the immense 
and important region whose destinies were committed 
to them ; and the ensuing narrative will relate the 
first attempt made by national authority to occupy 
and explore the country. 



CHAPTER II. 



LEWIS AND CLARKE. 



"TN the year 1786, John Ledyard of Connecticut, 
-^ who had been with Capt. Cook in his voyage of 
discovery to the north-west coast of America in 1776- 
1780, was in Paris, endeavoring to engage a mercan- 
tile company in the fur-trade of that coast. He had 
seen, as he thought, unequalled opportunities for lu- 
crative traffic in the exchange of the furs of that coun- 
try for the silks and teas of China. But his represen- 
tations were listened to with incredulity by the cau- 
^ous merchants of Europe, and he found it impossible 
to interest any so far as to induce them to fit out an 
expedition for the object proposed. 

Disappointed and needy, he applied for advice and 
assistance to Mr, Jefferson, at tliat time the American 
minister at the court of France. Ledyard had no 
views of pecuniary gain in the contemplated enter- 
prise : he sought only an opportunity of indulging his 



14 



LEWIS AND CLARKE. 15 

love of adventure by exploring regions at that time 
unknown. Mr. Jefferson, as the guardian of his coun- 
try's interests and the friend of science, was warmly 
interested in any scheme which contemplated the 
opening of the vast interior regions of the American 
continent to the occupancy of civihzed man. Since 
it was impossible to engage mercantile adventurers to 
fit out an expedition by sea, Mr. Jefferson proposed to 
Ledyard that he should go as a traveller, by land, 
through the Russian territories, as far as the eastern 
coast of the continent of Asia, and from thence get 
such conveyance as he could to the neighboring coast 
of America, and thus reach the spot where his main 
journey was to begin. Ledyard eagerly embraced 
the proposal. Permission was obtained from the Em- 
press Catharine of Russia, and the enterprising trav- 
eller, in December, 1786, set forth. He traversed Den- 
mark and Sweden ; passed round the head of the Gulf 
of Bothnia, after an unsuccessful attempt to cross it 
on the ice; and reached St. Petersburg in March, 
1787, without money, shoes, or stockings, having gone 
this immense journey on foot in an arctic winter. At 
St. Petersburg he obtained notice, money to the 
amount of twenty guineas, and permission to accom- 
pany a convoy of stores to Yakoutsk, in Siberia. 



10 - OPiEGON. 

But, for some unexplained reason, be was arrested at 
that place by order of the empress, and conveyed 
back to Europe ; being cautioned, on bis release, not 
again to set foot within the Russian territories, under 
penalty of death. This harsh treatment is supposed 
to have arisen from the jealousy of the Russian fur- 
traders, who feared that Ledyard's proceedings would 
rouse up rivals in tlieir trade. 

Mr. Jefferson did not, upon this disappointment, 
abandon the idea of an exploration of the interior of 
the American- continent. At his suggestion, the 
American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia took 
measures, in 1792, to send suitable persons to make a 
similar transit of the continent in the opposite direc- 
tion; that is, by ascending the Missouri, and descend- 
ing the Columbia. Nothing was effected, however, 
at that time, except awakening the attention of Capt. 
Meriwether Lewis, a young officer in the American 
army, a neighbor and relative of Gen. Washington. 
He eagerly sought to be employed to make the con- 
templated journey. 

In 1803, Mr. Jefferson, being then President of the 
United States, proposed to Congress to send an ex- 
ploring party to trace tlie Missouri to its source; to 
cross the highlands, and follow the best water commu- 



LEWIS AND CLARKE. 17 

nication which might offer itself, to the Pacific Ocean. 
Congress approved the proposal, and voted a sum of 
money to carry it into execution. Capt. Lewis, who 
had then been two years with Mr. Jefferson as his pri- 
vate secretary, immediately renewed his solicitations 
to have the direction of the expedition. Mr. Jeffer- 
son had now had opportunity of knowing him inti- 
mately, and believed him to be brave, persevering, fa- 
miliar with the Indian character and customs, habit- 
uated to the hunting life, honest, and of sound judg- 
ment. He trusted that he would be careful of those 
committed to his charge, yet steady in the mainte- 
nance of discipline. On receiving his appointment, 
Capt. Lewis repaired to Philadelphia, and placed him- 
self under its distinguished professors, with a view to 
acquire familiarit}'- with the nomenclature of the natu- 
ral sciences. He selected, as his companion in the 
proposed expedition, Wilham Clarke, a brother-officer, 
known and esteemed by him. 

While these things were going on, the treaty with 
France was concluded, by which the country of 
Louisiana was ceded to the United States. This 
event, which took place in 1803, greatly increased the 
interest felt by the people of the United States in the 
proposed expedition. 



18 OREGON. 

In the spring of 1804, the preparations being com- 
pleted, the explorers commenced their route. The 
party consisted of nine young men from Kentucky, 
fourteen soldiers of the United-States army who vol- 
unteered their services, two French watermen, an 
interpreter, a hunter, and a black servant of Capt, 
Clarke. In addition to these, a further force of fifteen 
men attended on the commencement of the expedition 
to secure safety during the transit through some In- 
dian tribes whose hostility was apprehended. The 
necessary stores were divided into seven bales and 
one box, the latter containing a small portion of each 
article in case of a loss of any one of the bales. The 
stores consisted of clothing, working tools, ammuni- 
tion, and other articles of prime necessity. To these 
were added fourteen bales and one box of Indian pre- 
sents, composed of richly laced coats and other arti- 
cles of dress, medals, flags, knives, and tomahawks for 
the chiefs ; ornaments of different kinds, particularly 
beads, looking-glasses, handkerchiefs, paints, and gen- 
erally such articles as were deemed best calculated 
for the taste of the Indians. The company embarked 
on board of three boats. The first was a keel-boat, 
fifty-five feet long, carrying one large square sail and 
twenty-two oars. A deck of ten feet, at each end, 



LEWIS AND CLARKE. l'^ 

formed a forecastle and cabin. This was accompanied 
by two open boats of six oars. Two horses were to 
be led along the banks of the river, for bringing home 
game, or hunting in case of scarcity. 

The narrative of the expedition was written by the 
commanders from day to day, and published after 
their return. We shall tell the story of their adven- 
tures nearly in the language of their own journal, 
with such abridgments as our plan renders neces- 
sary. 

May 14, 1804. — All the preparations being com- 
pleted, they left their encampment this day. The 
character of the river itself was the most interesting 
object of examination for the first part of their voy- 
age. Having advanced, in two months, about four 
hundred and fifty miles, they write as follows : " The 
ranges of hills on opposite sides of the river are twelve 
or fifteen miles apart, rich plains and prairies, with 
the river, occupying the intermediate space, partially 
covered near the river with cotton-wood 'or Balm-of- 
Gilead poplar. The whole lowland between the 
parallel ranges of hills seems to have been formed of 
mud of the river, mixed with sand and clay. The 
sand of the neighboring banks, added to that brought 
down by the stream, forms sand-bars, projecting into 



20 OREGON. 

the river. These drive the stream to the opposite 
bank, the loose texture of which it undermines, and 
at length deserts its ancient bed for a new passage. 
It is thus that the banks of the Missouri are con- 
stantly falling in, and the river changing its bed. 

" On one occasion, the party encamped on a sand- 
bar in the river. Shortly after midnight, the sleepers 
were startled by the sergeant on guard crying out 
that the sand-bar was sinking : and the alarm was 
timely given ; for scarcely had they got off with the 
boats before the bank under which they had been 
lying fell in ; and, by the time the opposite shore was 
reached, the ground on which they had been en- 
camped sunk also. 

" We had occasion here to observe the process of 
the undermining of these hills by the Missouri. The 
first attacks seem to be made on the hills which over- 
hang the river. As soon as the violence of the cur- 
rent destroys the grass at the foot of them, the whole 
texture appears loosened, and the ground dissolves, 
and mixes with the water. At one point, a part of 
the cliff, nearjy three-quarters of a mile in length, and 
about two hundred feet in height, had fallen into the 
river. As the banks are washed away, the trees fall 
in, and the channel becomes filled with buried logs." 



LEWIS AND CLARKE. 21- 

RIVER SCENERY. 

"July 12. — We remained to-day for the purpose of 
making lunar observations. Capt. Clarke sailed a few 
miles up the Namaha River, and landed on a spot 
where he found numerous artificial mounds. 

NOTE. 

A late traveller, Rev. Samuel Parker, speaks thus of these 
mounds: " The mounds, which some have called the work of 
unknown generations of men, were scattered here in all varieties 
of form and magnitude, thousands in number. Some of them 
were conical, some elliptical, some square, and some parallelo- 
grams. One group attracted my attention particularly. They 
were twelve in number, of conical form, with their bases joined, 
and twenty or thirty feet high. They formed two-thirds of a 
cu'cle, with an area of two hundred feet in diameter. If these 
were isolated, who would not say they were artificial ? But, 
when they are only a group among a thousand others, who wUl 
presume to say they all are the work of man ? . . . 

" It is said by those who advocate the belief that they are the 
work of ancient nations ; that they present plain evidence of this 
in the fact that they contain human bones, articles of pottery, 
and the hke. That some of them have been used for burying- 
places, is undoubtedly true ; but may it not be questioned whe- 
ther they were made, or only selected, for burying-places V No 
one who has ever seen the thousands and ten thousands 
scattered through the Valley of the Mississippi will be so credu- 
lous as to believe that a hundredth part of them were the work 
of man." 



^ OREGON: 

" From the top of the highest mound, a delightful 
prospect presented itself, — the lowland of the Mis- 
souri covered with an undulating grass nearly five 
feet high, gradually rising into a second plain, where 
rich weeds and flowers were interspersed with copses 
of the Osage plum. Farther back from the river 
were seen small groves of trees, an abundance of 
grapes, the wild cherry of the Missouri, — resembling 
our own, but larger, and growing on a small bush. 
The plums are of three kinds, — two of a yellow color, 
and distinguished by one of the species being larger 
than the other ; a third species of red color. All have 
an excellent flavor, particularly the yellow kind." 

PIPE-CLAY ROCK. 

•'Aug. 21. — We passed the mouth of the Great 
Sioux River. Our Indian interpreter tells us that on 
the head waters of this river is the quarry of red 
rock of which the Indians make their pipes ; and the 
necessity of procuring that article has introduced a 
law of nations, by which the banks of the stream are 
sacred ; and even tribes at war meet without hostility 
at these quarries, which possess a right of asylum. 
Thus we find, even among savages, certain principles 
deemed sacred, by which the rigors of their merciless 
system of warfare are mitigated." 



CHAPTER m. 

THE SIOUX. 

THE Indian tribes which our adventurers had thus 
far encountered had been friendly, or at least 
inoffensive ; but they were feeble bands, and all of 
them lived in terror of their powerful neighbors, the 
Sioux. On the 23d of September, the party reached 
a region inhabited by the Tetons, a tribe of Sioux. 
The journal gives an account of their intercourse 
with these new acquaintances as follows : — 

" The morning was fine ; and we raised a flag-staff, 
and spread an awning, under which we assembled, 
with all the party under arms. The chiefs and war- 
riors from the Indian camp, about fifty in number, met 
us ; and Capt. Lewis made a speech to them. After 
this, we went through the ceremony of acknowledging 
the chiefs by giving to the grand chief a medal, a flag 
of the United States, a laced uniform coat, a cocked 
hat and feather ; to the two other chiefs, a modal and 

23 



24 OREGON. 

some small presents ; and to two warriors of conside- 
ration, certificates. We then invited the chiefs on 
board, and showed them the boat, the air-gun, and 
such curiosities as we thought might amuse them. 
In this we succeeded too well ; for after giving them 
a quarter of a glass of whiskey, which they seemed 
to like very much, it was with much difficulty we 
could get rid of them. They at last accompanied 
Capt. Clarke back to shore in a boat with five 
men; but no sooner had the party landed than 
three of the Indians seized the cable of the boat, 
and one of the soldiers of the chief put his arms 
round the mast. The second chief, who afiected in- 
toxication, then said that we should not go on ; that 
they had not received presents enough from us, 
Capt. Clarke told him that we would not be prevented 
from going on; that we- were not squaws, but war- 
riors ; that we were sent by our great Father, who 
could in a moment exterminate them. The chief re- 
plied that he, too, had warriors ; and was proceeding 
to lay hands on Capt. Clarke, who immediately drew 
his sword, and made a signal to the boat to prepare 
for action. The Indians who surrounded him drew 
their arrows from their quivers, and were bending 
their bows, when the swivel in the large boat was 



THE SIOUX. 25 

pointed towards them, and twelve of our mast de- 
termined men jumped into the small boat, and joined 
Capt. Clarke. This movement made an impression 
on them ; for the grand chief ordered the young men 
away from the boat, and the chiefs withdrew, and held 
a short council with the warriors. Being unwilling 
to irritate them, Capt. Clarke then went forward, and 
offered his hand to the first and second chiefs, who 
refused to take it. He then turned from them, and 
got into the boat, but had not gone more than a 
stone's-throw, when the two chiefs and two of the 
warriors waded in after him ; and he took them on 
board. 

" Sept. 26. — Our conduct yesterday seemed to 
have inspired the Indians with respect; and, as we 
were desirous of cultivating their acquaintance, we 
complied with their wish that we should give them an 
opportunity of treating us well, and also suffer their 
squaws and children to see us and our boat, which 
would be perfectly new to them. Accordingly, after 
passing a small island and several sand-bars, we came 
to on the south shore, where a crowd of men, women, 
and children, were waiting to receive us. Capt. 
Lewis went on shore, and, observing that their dispo- 
sition seemed friendly, resolved to remain during the 



26 OREGON. 

night to a dance which they were preparing for us. 
The captains, who went on shore one after the other, 
were met on the landing by ten well-dressed young 
men, who took them up in a robe highly decorated, 
and carried them to a large council-house, where they 
were placed on a dressed buffalo-skin by the side of 
the grand chief. The hall, or council-room, was in the 
shape of three-quarters of a circle, covered at the top 
and sides with skins well dressed, and sewed together. 
Under this shelter sat about seventy men, forming 
a circle round the chief, before whom were placed a 
Spanish flag and the one we had given them yester- 
day. In the vacant space in the centre, the pipe of 
peace was raised on two forked sticks about six or 
eight inches from the ground, and under it the down 
of the swan was scattered. A large fire, at which 
they were cooking, stood near, and a pile of about 
four hundred pounds of buifalo-meat, as a present 
for us. 

" As soon as we were seated, an old man rose, and, 
after approving what we had done, begged us to take 
pity upon their unfortunate situation. To this we re- 
plied with assurances of protection. After he had 
ceased, the great chief rose, and delivered an ha- 
rangue to the same eSect. Then, with great solem- 



THE SIOUX. 27 

nity, he took some of tlie more delicate parts of the 
dog, which was cooked for the festival, and held it to 
the flag by way of sacrifice : this done, he held up 
the pipe of peace, and first pointed it towards the 
heavens, then to the four quarters of the globe, and 
then to the earth ; made a short speech ; lighted the 
pipe, and presented it to us. We smoked, and he 
again harangued his people ; after which the repast 
was served up to us. It consisted of the dog, which 
they had just been cooking; this being a great dish 
among the Sioux, and used at all festivals. To this 
was added pemitigon, a dish made of buffalo-meat, 
dried, and then pounded, and mixed raw with fat ; and 
a root like the potato, dressed like the preparation of 
Indian-corn called hominy. Of all these luxuries, 
which Avere placed before us in platters, with horn 
spoons, we took the pemitigon and the potato, which 
we found good ; but we could as yet partake but spar- 
ingly of the dog. We ate and smoked for an hour, 
when it became dark. Every thing was then cleared 
away for the dance ; a large fire being made in the 
centre of the house, giving at once light and warmth 
to the ball-room. The orchestra was composed of 
about ten men, who played on a sort of tambourine 
formed of skin stretched across a hoop, and made a 



28 OREGON. 

jingling noise with a long stick, to which the hoofs 
of deer and goats were hung. The third instrument 
was a small skin bag, with pebbles in it. These, with 
five or six young men for the vocal part, made up the 
band. 

" The women then came forward highly decorated ; 
some with poles in their hands, on which were hung 
the scalps of their enemies ; others with guns, spears, 
or different trophies, taken in war by their husbands, 
brothers, or connections. Having arranged them- 
selves in two columns, as soon as the music began 
they danced towards each other till they met in the 
centre ; when the rattles were shaken, and they all 
shouted, and returned back to their places. They 
have no steps, but slmffle along the ground ; nor does 
the music appear to be any thing more than a confusion 
of noises, distinguished only by hard or gentle blows 
upon the buffalo-skin. The song is perfectly extem- 
poraneous. In the pauses of the dance, any man of 
the company comes forward, and recites, in a low, 
guttural tone, some little story or incident, which is 
either martial or ludicrous. This is taken up by the 
orchestra and the dancers, who repeat it in a higher 
strain, and dance to it. Sometimes they alternate, 
the orchestra first performing ; and, when it ceases, 



THE SIOUX. 29 

the women raise their voices, and make a music more 
agreeable, that is, less intolerable, than that of the 
musicians. 

" The harmony of the entertainment had nearly- 
been disturbed by one of the musicians, who, think- 
ing: he had not received a due share of the tobacco 
we had distributed during the evening, put himself 
into a passion, broke one of the drums, threw two of 
them into the fire, and left the band. They were 
taken out of the fire : a buffalo-robe, held in one hand, 
and beaten with the other, supplied the place of the 
lost drum or tambourine ; and no notice was taken of 
the offensive conduct of the man. We staid till 
twelve o'clock at night, when we informed the chiefs 
that they must be fatigued with all these attempts to 
amuse us, and retired, accompanied by four chiefs, 
two of whom spent the night with us on board." 

THE SIOUX. 

" The tribe which we this day saw are a part of the 
great Sioux nation, and are known by the name of 
the Teton Okandandas : they are about two hundred 
men in number, and their chief residence is on both 
sides of the Missouri, between the Cheyenne and 
Teton Rivers. 



30 OREGON. 

" The men shave the hair off their heads, except a 
small tuft on the top, which they suffer to grow, and 
wear in plaits over the shoulders. To this they seem 
much attached, as the loss of it is the usual sacrifice at 
the death of near relations. In full dress, the men of 
consideration wear a hawk's feather or calumet feath- 
er, worked with porcupine-quills, and fastened to the 
top of the head, from which it falls back. The face 
and body are generally painted with a mixture of 
grease and coal. Over the shoulders is a loose robe or 
mantle of buffalo-skin, adorned with porcupine-quills, 
which are loosely fixed so as to make a jingling noise 
when in motion, and painted with various uncouth 
figures unintelligible to us, but to them emblematic 
of military exploits or any other incident. The hair 
of the robe is worn next the skin in fair weather ; 
but, when it rains, the hair is put outside. Under 
this robe they wear in winter a kind of shirt, made 
either of skin or cloth, covering the arms and body. 
Round the middle is fixed a girdle of cloth or elk- 
skin, about an inch in width, and closely tied to the 
body. To this is attached a piece of cloth or blanket 
or skin about a foot wide, Avhich passes between the 
legs, and is tucked under the girdle both before and 
behind. From the hip to the ankle, the man is covered 



THE SIOUX. 31 

with leggings of dressed antelope-skins, with seams 
at the sides two inches in width, and ornamented 
by little tufts of hair, the product of the scalps they 
have taken in war, which are scattered down the leg. 

" The moccasons are of dressed buflfalo-skin, the 
hair being worn inwards. On great occasions, or 
whenever they are in full dress, the young men drag 
after them the entii'e skin of a polecat, fixed to the 
heel of the moccason. ^ 

" The hair of the women is suffered to grow long, 
and is parted from the forehead across the head ; at 
the back of wiiicli it is either collected into a kind of 
bag, or hangs down over the shoulders. Their moc- 
casons are like those of the men, as are also the leg- 
gings, which do not reach beyond the knee, where 
tliey are met by a long, loose mantle of skin, which 
reaches nearly to the ankles. This is fastened over 
tiie shoulders by a string, and has no sleeves ; but a 
few pieces of the skin hang a short distance down the 
arm. Sometimes a girdle fastens this skin round the 
waist, and over all is thrown a robe like that worn by 
the men. 

" Their lodges are very neatly constructed. They 
consist of about one hundred cabins, made of white 
buffalo-hide, with a larger cabin in the centre for hold- 



32 OREGON. 

ing coTincils and dances. They are built round with 
poles about fifteen or twenty feet high, covered with 
white skins. These lodges may be taken to pieces, 
packed up, and carried with the nation, wherever 
they go, by dogs, which bear great burdens. The 
women are chiefly employed in dressing buffalo-skins. 
These people seem well-disposed, but are addicted to 
stealing any thing which they can take without being 
observed." 



CHAPTER ly. 

SUMMARY OF TRAVEL TO WINTER-QUARTERS. 

QEPT. 1, 1804. — The daily progress of the expedi- 
^~"^ tion from this date is marked by no incidents of 
more importance than the varying fortunes of travel, as 
they found the river more or less favorable to naviga- 
tion, and the game more or less abundant on the banks. 
Their progress was from twelve to twenty miles 
a day. In general, their sails served them ; but they 
were sometimes obliged to resort to the use of tow- 
lines, which, being attached to a tree or other firm 
object on the shore, enabled the men to pull the boat 
along. This seems but a slow method of voyaging ; 
yet they found it by no means the slowest, and were 
sorry when the nature of the banks, being either too 
lofty or too low, precluded their use of it. Their nar- 
rative is, however, varied by accounts of the scenery 
and natuial productions of the country through which 
they passed, and by anecdotes of the Indians. While 
3 ;53 



34 OREGON. 

they are making their toilsome advance up the river, 
let lis see what they have to tell us of the strange 
people and remarkable objects which they found on 
their way. 

PRAIRIE-DOGS. 

" We arrived at a spot on the gradual descent of 
the hill, nearly four acres in extent, and covered with 
small holes. These are the residences of little animals 
called prairie-dogs, who sit erect near the mouth 
of the hole, and make a whistling noise, but, when 
alarmed, take refuge in their holes. In order to bring 
them out, we poured into one of the holes five barrels 
of water, without filling it ; but we dislodged and 
caught the owner. After digging down another of 
the holes for six feet, we found, on running a pole into 
it, that we had not yet dug halfway to the bottom. 
We discovered two frogs in the hole ; and near it we 
killed a rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small 
prairie-dog. We have been told, though we never 
witnessed the fact, that a sort of lizard and a snake 
live habitually with these animals. 

" The prairie-dog is well named, as it resembles a 
dog in most particulars, though it has also some points 
of similarity to the squirrel. The head resembles the 



SUMMARY OF TRAVEL TO WINTER-QUARTERS. 35 

squirrel in every respect, except that the oar is 
shorter. The tail is like that of the ground-squirrel ; 
the toe-nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long 
hair is gray." 

ANTELOPES. 

"Of all the animals we have seen, the antelope 
possesses the most wonderful fleetness. Shy and 
timorous, they generally repose only on the ridges, 
which command a view in all directions. Their sight 
distinguishes the most distant danger; their power 
of smell defeats the attempt at concealment ; and, 
when alarmed, their swiftness seems more like the 
flight of birds than the movement of an animal over 
the ground. Capt. Lewis, after many unsuccessful 
attempts, succeeded in approaching, undiscovered, a 
party of seven, which were on an eminence. The 
only male of the party frequently encircled the sum- 
mit of the hill, as if to discover if any danger threat- 
ened the party. When Capt. Lewis was at the dis- 
tance of two hundred yards, they became alarmed, 
and fled. He immediately ran to the spot they had 
left. A ravine concealed them from him ; but the 
next moment they appeared on a second ridge, at the 
distance of three miles. He doubted whether they 



36 OREGON. 

could be the same ; but thoir uuoiber, and the direc- 
tion in which they fled, satisfied him that it was the 
same party : yet the distance they had made in the 
time was such as would hardly have been possible to 
the swiftest racehorse." 

PELICAN ISLAND. 

"42. — This name we gave to a long island, from 
the numbers of pelicans which were feeding on it. 
One of them being killed, we poured into his bag five 
gallons of water." 



NOTE. 

"The antelopes are becoming very numerous. Their speed 
exceeds that of any animal I have ever seen. Our hounds can 
do nothing in giving them the chase : so soon are they left far in 
the rear, that tliey do not follow them more than ten or twenty 
rods before they return, looking ashamed of their defeat. Our 
hunters occasionally take the antelope by coming upon them by 
stealth. When they are surprised, they start forward a very 
small space, then turn, and, with high-lifted heads, stare for a 
few seconds at the object which has alarmed them, and then, 
with a half-whistling snuif, bound off, seeming to be as much 
upon wings as upon feet. They resemble the goat, but are far 
more beautifal. Though they are of different colors, yet they 
are generally red, and have a large, fine, prominent eye. Their 
flesh is good for food, and about equals yenison," — Parker^ s 
Tour. 



SUMMAItY OF TRAVEL TO WINTER-QUARTERS. 37 
INDIAN VILLAGES AND AGRICULTURE. 

" We halted for dinner at a deserted village, which 
we suppose to have belonged to the Ricaras. It is 
situated in a low plain on the river, and consists of 
about eighty lodges, of an octagon form, neatly 
covered with earth, placed as close to each other as 
possible, and picketed round. The skin-canoes, mats, 
buckets, and articles of furniture, found in the lodges, 
induce us to suppose that it was left in the spring. 
We found three different kinds of squashes growing 
in the village. 

" Another village, which we reached two days later, 
was situated on an island, which is three miles long, 
and covered with fields, in which the Indians raise 
corn, beans, and potatoes. We found hero several 
Frenchmen living among the Indians, as interpreters 
or traders. The Indians gave us some corn, beans, 
and dried squashes ; and we gave them a steel mill, 
with which they were much pleased. We sat con- 
versing with the chiefs some time, during which they 
treated us to a bread made of corn and beans, also 
corn arid beans boiled, and a large rich bean which 
they take from the mice of the prairie, who discover 
and collect it. We gave them some sugar, salt, and a 
sun-glass." 



38 OREGON. 

YORK, THE NEGRO. 

" The oliject which seemed to astonish the Indians 
most was Capt. Clarke's servant, York, — a sturdy 
negro. They had never seen a human being of that 
color, and therefore flocked round him to examine the 
monster. By way of amusement, he told them that 
he had once been a wild animal, and been caught and 
tamed by his master, and, to convince them, showed 
them feats of strength, which, added to his looks, 
made him more terrible than we wished him to be. 
At all the villages he was an object of astonishment. 
The children would follow him constantly, and, if he 
chanced to turn towards them, would run with great 
terror." 

STONE-IDOL CREEK. 

" We reached the mouth of a creek, to which we 
gave the name of Stone-Idol Creek ; for, on passing 
up, we discovered, that, a few miles back from the Mis- 
souri, there are two stones resembling human figures, 
and a third like a dog ; all which are objects of great 
veneration among the Ricaras. Their history would 
adorn the " Metamorphoses " of Ovid. A young man 
was in love with a girl whose parents refused their 
consent to the marriage. The youth went out into 



SUMMARY OF TRAVEL TO WINTER-QUARTERS. 39 

the fields to mourn his misfortunes : a sympathy of 
feeling led the girl to the same spot ; and the faithful 
dog would not fail to follow his master. After wan- 
dering together, and having nothing but grapes to 
subsist on, they were at last converted into stone, 
which, beginning at the feet, gradually invaded the 
nobler parts, leaving nothing unchanged but a bunch 
of grapes, which the female holds in her hands to this 
day. Such is the account given by the Ricara chief, 
which we had no means of testing, except that we 
found one part of the story very agreeably confirmed ; 
for on the banks of the creek we found a greater 
abundance of fine grapes than we had seen else- 
where." 

GOATS. 

" Great numbers of goats are crossing the river, and 
directing their course to the westward. We are told 
that they spend the summer in the plains east of the 
Missouri, and at this season (October) are returning 
to the Black Mountains, where they subsist on leaves 
and shrubbery during the winter, and resume their 
migrations in the spring. At one place, we saw 
large flocks of them in the water. They had been 
gradually driven into the river by the Indians, who 
now lined the shore so as to prevent their escape, and 



40 OREGON. 

were firing on them ; wliile boys went into the river, 
and killed them with sticks. They seemed to have 
been veiy successful ; for we counted fifty-eight which 
they had killed. In the evening they made a feast, 
that lasted till late at night, and caused much noise 
and merriment. 

" The country through whicli we passed has wider 
river-bottoms and more timber than those we have 
been accustomed to see ; the hills rising at a distance, 
and by gradual ascents. We have seen great num- 
bers of elk, deer, goats, and bujffaloes, and the usual 
attendants of these last, — the wolves, which follow 
their movements, and feed upon those who die by ac- 
cident, or are too feeble to keep pace with the herd. 
We also wounded a white bear, and saw some fresh 
tracks of those animals, which are twice as large as 
the tracks of a man." 

THE PRAIRIE ON FIEE. 

" In the evening, the prairie took fire, either by ac- 
cident or design, and burned with great fury ; the 
whole plain being enveloped in flames. So rapid was 
its progress, that a man and a woman were burned to 
death before they could reach a place of safety. An- 
other man, with his wife and child, were much 



:SUMMARY OF TRAVEL TO WIXTER-QUARTERS. 41 

burned, and several other persons narrowly escaped 
destruction. Among the rest, a boy of the half-breed 
escaped unhurt in the midst of the flames. His 
safety was ascribed by the Indians to the Great 
Spirit, who had saved him on account of his being 
white. But a much more natural cause was the pres- 
ence of mind of his mother, who, seeing no hopes of 
carrying off her son, threw him on the ground, and, 
covering him with the fresh hide of a buffalo, escaped 
herself from the flames. As soon as the fire had 
passed, she returned,- and found him untouched; the 
skin having prevented the flame from reaching the 
grass where he lay." 

A COUNCIL. 

" After making eleven miles, we reached an old field, 
where the Mandans had cultivated grain last summer. 
We encamped for the night about half a mile below 
the first village of the Mandans. As soon as we ar- 
rived, a crowd of men, women, and children, came 
down to see us. Capt, Lewis returned with the prin- 
cipal chiefs to the village, while the others remained 
with us during the evening. The object which 
seemed to surprise them most was a corn-mill, fixed 
to the boat, which we had occasion to use ; while they 



42 OREGON^. 

looked on, and were delighted at observing the ease 
with which it reduced the grain to powder. 

" Among others who visited us was the son of the 
grand chief of the Mandaus, who had both his little 
fingers cut off at the second joint. On inquiring into 
this injury, we found that the custom was to express 
grief for the death of relations by some corporeal suf- 
fering, and that the usual mode was to lose a joint of 
the little finger, or sometimes of other fingers. 

" Oct. 29, 1804. — The morning was fine, and we 
prepared our presents and speech for the council. At 
ten o'clock, the chiefs were all assembled under an 
awning of our sails. That the impression might be 
the more forcible, the men were all paraded ; and the 
council opened by a discharge from the swivel of the 
boat. Capt. Lewis then delivered a speech, which, 
like those we had already made, intermingled advice 
with assurances of friendship and trade. While he 
was speaking, the Ahnahaway chief grew very restless, 
and observed that he could not wait long, as his camp 
was exposed to the hostilities of the Shoshonees. He 
was instantly rebuked with great dignity, by one of 
the chiefs, for this violation of decorum at such a mo- 
ment, and remained quiet during the rest of the coun- 
cil. This being over, we proceeded to distribute the 



SUMMARY OF TRAVEL TO WINTER-QUARTERS. 43 

presents with great ceremony. One chief of each 
town was acknowledged by the gift of a flag, a medal 
with the likeness of the President of the United 
States, a uniform coat, hat, and feather. To the second 
chiefs we gave a medal representing some domestic 
animals, and a loom for weaving ; to the third chiefs, 
medals with the impression of a farmer sowing grain. 
A variety of other products were distributed ; but 
none seemed to give more satisfaction than an iron 
corn-mill which we gave them. 

" In the evening, our men danced among them- 
selves to the music of the violin, to the great amuse- 
ment of the Indians." 

THEY ENCAMP FOR THE WINTER. 

"Friday, Nov. 7, 1804. — Capt. Clarke having ex- 
amined the shores, and found a position where there 
was plenty of timber, we encamped, and began to fell 
trees to build our huts. The timber which we em- 
ploy is cotton-wood (poplar) and elm, with some ash 
of inferior size. By the 8th, our huts were ad- 
vanced very well; on the 13th, we unloaded the boat, 
and stowed away the contents in a storehouse which 
we had built. 

" Nov. 20. — This day we moved into our huts. 



44 ■ OREGON. 

which are now completed. We call our place Fort 
Mandan. It is situated on a point of low ground 
on the north side of the Missouri, covered with 
tall and heavy cotton-wood. The works consist of 
two rows of huts or sheds, forming an angle where 
they join each other ; each row containing four rooms 
of fourteen feet square and seven feet high, with 
plank ceiling, and the roof slanting so as to form a loft 
above the rooms, the highest part of which is eigh- 
teen feet from the ground. The backs of the huts 
formed a wall of that height ; and, opposite the angle, 
the place of the wall was supplied by picketing. In 
the area were two rooms for stores and provisions. 
The latitude, by observation, is 47° 22', long. 101° ; 
and the computed distance from the mouth of the 
Missouri, sixteen hundred miles. 

"Nov. 21. — We are now settled in our winter 
habitation, and shall wait with much impatience the 
first return of spring to continue our journey." 



CHAPTER V. 



INDIAN TRIBES. 



f I^HE villages near which we are established are 
-*■- the residence of three distinct nations, — 
the Mandans, the Ahnahaways, and the Minne- 
tarees. The Mandans say, that, many years ago, 
their tribe was settled in nine villages, the ruins of 
which we passed about eighty miles below. Finding 
themselves wasting away before the small-pox and 
the Sioux, they moved up the river, and planted 
themselves opposite the Ricaras. Their numbers are 
very much reduced, and they, now constitute but two 
Villages, — one on each side of the river, and at a dis- 
tance of three miles from each other. Both villages 
together may raise about three hundred and fifty 
men." 

AHNAHAWAYS. 

'* Four miles from the lower Mandan village is one 
inhabited by the Ahnahaways. This nation formerly 

45 



46 OREGON. 

dwelt on the Missouri, about thirty miles below where 
they now live. The Assinaboins and Sioux forced 
them to a spot five miles higher, and thence, by a sec- 
ond emigration, to their present situation, in order 
to obtain an asylum near the Minnetaree^ Their 
whole force is about fifty men." 

MINNETAREES. 

" About half a mile from this village, and in the 
same open plain with it, is a village of Minnetarees, 
who are about one hundred and fifty men in number. 
One and a half miles above this village is a second of 
the same tribe, who may be considered the proper Min- 
netaree nation. It is situated in a beautiful plain, and 
contains four hundred and fifty warriors. The Man- 
dans say that this people came out of the water to the 
east, and settled near them. The Minnetarees, how- 
ever, assert that they grew where they now live, and 
will never emigrate from the spot ; the Great Spirit 
having declared, that, if they move, they will all 
perish. 

" The inhabitants of these villages, all of which are 
within the compass of six miles, live in harmony with 
each other. Their languages difier to some extent ; 
but their long residence together has enabled them to 



INDIAN TRIBES. 47 

understand one another's speech as to objects of daily 
occurrence, and obvious to the senses. 

"All these tribes are at deadly feud with the 
Sioux, who are much more powerful, and are conse- 
quently objects of continual apprehension. The pres- 
ence of our force kept the peace for the present. 

" Almost the whole of that vast tract of country 
comprised between the Mississippi, the Red River of 
Lake Winnipeg, the Saskatchawan, and the Missouri, 
is loosely occupied by a great nation whose primitive 
name is Dahcotas, but who are called Sioux by the 
French, Sues by the English. They are divided into 
numerous tribes, named Yanktons, Tetons, Assina- 
boins, &c. These tribes are sometimes at war with 
one another, but still acknowledge relationship, and 
are recognized by similarity of language and by tra- 
dition." 

RELIGION. 

" The religion of the Mandans consists in the belief 
of one Great Spirit presiding over their destinies. 
This Being must be in the nature of a good genius, 
since it is associated with the healing art ; and the 
Great Spirit is synonymous with Great Medicine, — 
a name also applied to every thing they do not compre- 
hend. They also believe in a multiplicity of inferior 



48 OREGON. 

spirits. Each individual selects for himself the par- 
ticular object of his devotion, which is termed his Med- 
icine, and is either an invisible being, or more com- 
monly some animal, which thenceforward becomes 
his protector, or his intercessor with the Great Spirit. 
To propitiate the Medicine, every attention is lav- 
ished, and every personal consideration is sacrificed. 
* I was lately owner of seventeen horses,' said a 
Mandan ; ' but I have offered them all up to my Medi- 
cine, and am now poor.' He had in reality taken 
them into the plain, and, turning them loose, com- 
mitted them to the care of his Medicine, and aban- 
doned them. 

" Their behef in a future state is connected with a 
tradition of their origin. The whole nation, they say, 
once dwelt in one large village underground. A 
grape-vine extended its roots down to their habita- 
tion ; and the earth, being broken round its stem, gave 
them a view of the light. Some of the more adven- 
turous climbed up the vine, and were delighted with 
the sight of the earth, which they found covered 
with buffaloes, and rich with every kind of fruit. Re- 
turning with the grapes they had gathered, their 
countrymen were so pleased with the taste, that the 
whole nation resolved to leave their dull residence 



INDIAN TRIBES. 49 

for the upper region. Men, women, and children 
ascended by means of the vine ; but, when about half 
the nation had reached the surface, a corpulent wo- 
man, who was clambering up the vine, broke it with 
her weight, and, falling, closed up the cavity. Those 
who had reached the surface, thus excluded from 
their original seats, cherish the hopes of returning 
there when they die." 

INDIAN MANNEES. 

The following extract imparts some traits of Indian 
manners : — 

" Nov. 22. — This morning, the sentinel informed 
us that an Indian was about to kill his wife near 
the fort. We went to the house of our interpreter, 
where we found the parties, and, after forbidding 
any violence, inquired into the cause of his in- 
tending to commit such an atrocity. It appeared 
that, some days ago, a quarrel had taken place be- 
tween him and his wife, in consequence of which she 
had taken refuge in the house where the wives of our 
interpreter lived. By running away, she forfeited 
her life, which might be lawfully taken by the hus- 
band. He was now come for the purpose of complet- 
ing his revenge. We gave him a few presents, and 

4 



50 OREGON. 

tried to persuade bim to take his wife home. The 
grand chief, too, happened to arrive at the same mo- 
ment, and reproached him with his violence ; till 
at length husband and wife went off together, but 
by no means in a state of much apparent connubial 
felicity." 

THE WEATHER. 

" Dec. 12, 1804. — The thermometer at sunrise was 
thirty-eight degrees below zero; on the 16th, twenty- 
two below ; on the 17th, forty-five below. On the 
19th, it moderated a little. Notwithstanding the cold, 
we observed the Indians at the village engaged, out 
in the open air, at a game which resembles billiards. 
The platform, which answered for a table, was formed 
with timber, smoothed and joined so as to be as level 
as the floor of one of our houses. Instead of balls, 
they had circular disks made of clay-stone, and flat 
like checkers." 

THE ARGALI. 

" Dec. 22. — A number of squaws brought corn to 
trade for small articles with the men. Among other 
things, we procured two horns of the animal called by 
the hunters the Rocky-Mountain sheep, and by natu- 
ralists the argali. The animal is about the size of a 
small elk or large deer ; the horns winding like those 



INDIAN TRIBES. 51 

of a ram, which they resemble also in texture, though 
larger and thicker. 

" Dec. 23. — The weather was fine and warm. We 
were visited by crowds of Indians of all descrip- 
tion, who came either to trade, or from mere curi- 
osity. Among the rest, Kagohami, the Little Raven, 
brought his wife and son, loaded with corn ; and she 
entertained us with a favorite Mandan dish, — a mix- 
ture of pumpkins, beans, com, and choke-cherries, all 
boiled together in a kettle, and forming a composition 
by no means unpalatable. 

'•' Dec. 25. — Christmas Day. We were awakened 
before day by a discharge of fire-arms from the party. 
We had told the Indians not to visit us, as it was one 
of our great Medicine-days ; so that the men remained 
at home, and amused themselves in various ways, par- 
ticularly with dancing, in which they take great plea- 
sure. The American flag was hoisted for the first 
time in the fort ; the best provisions we had were 
brought out ; and this, with a little brandy, enabled 
them to pass the day in great festivity." 

THE BLACKSMITH. 

" Dec. 27. — We were fortunate enough to have 
among our men a good blacksmith, whom we set to 



52 OREGON. 

work to make a variety of articles. His operations 
seemed to surprise the Indians who came to see 
us ; but nothing could equal their astonishment at the 
bellows, which they considered a very great Medi- 
cine.''^ 

THE DYING CHIEF. 

" Kagohami came to see us early. His village was 
afflicted by the death of one of their aged chiefs, who, 
from his account, must have been more than a hun- 
dred years old. Just as he was dying, he requested 
his grand-children to dress him in his best robe, and 
carry him up to a hill, and seat him on a stone, with 
his face down the river, towards their old village, 
that he might go straight to his brother, who had 
passed before him to the ancient village under- 
ground." 

THE MEDICINE-STONE. 

" Oheenaw and Shahaka came down to see us, and 
mentioned that several of their countrymen had gone 
to consult their diedicine-stone as to the prospects of 
the following year. This Medicine-stone is the great 
oracle of the Mandans, and whatever it announces is 
believed with implicit confidence. Every spring, 
and on some occasions during the summer, a deputa- 
tion visits the sacred spot, where there is a thick, 



INDIAN TRIBES. 53 

porous stone twenty feet in circumference, with a 
smooth surface. Having reached the place, the cere- 
mony of smoking to it is performed by the deputies, 
who alternately take a whiff themselves, and then 
present the pipe to the stone. After this, they retire 
to an adjoining wood for the night, during which it 
may be safely presumed all the embassy do not sleep ; 
and, in the morning, they read the destinies of the na- 
tion in the white marks on the stone, which those 
who made them are at no loss to decipher. The 
Minnetarees have a stone of a similar kind, which has 
the same qualities, and the same influence over the 
nation." 

THE INDIANS' ENDURANCE OF COLD. 

"Jan. 10, 1805. — The weather now exhibited the 
intensity of cold. This morning, at sunrise, the 
mercury stood at forty degrees below- zero. One 
of the men, separated from the rest in hunting, 
was out all night. In the morning he returned, and 
told us that he had made a fire, and kept himself toler- 
ably warm. A young Indian, about thirteen years of 
age, came in soon after. He had been overtaken by 
the night, and had slept in the snow, with no covering 
but a pair of deer- skin moccasons and leggings, and a 



54 OREGON. 

buffalo-robe. His feet were frozen ; but we restored 
them by putting them in cold water, rendering him 
every attention in our power. Another Indian, who 
had been missing, returned about the same time. Al- 
though his dress was very thin, and he had slept in 
the snow, without a fire, he had not suffered any in- 
convenience. These Indians support the rigors of 
the season in a way which we had hitherto thought 
impossible." 

SUPPLIES OF FOOD. 

" Our supplies are chiefly procured by hunting ; but 
occasional additions are made by the Indians, some- 
times in the way of gifts, and sometimes in exchange 
for the services of the blacksmith, who is a most im- 
portant member of the party. 

"Feb. 18. — Our stock of meat is exhausted, so 
that we must confine ourselves to vegetable diet till 
the return of our hunters. For this, however, we are 
at no loss, since yesterday and to-day our black- 
smith got large quantities of corn from the Indians 
who came to the fort. 

" Sunday, March 3. — The men are all employed in 
preparing the boats. We are visited by a party of 
Indians with corn. A flock of ducks passed up the 
river to-day. 



INDIAN TRIBES. 55 

"Wednesday, 13, — Wc had a fine day, and a south- 
west wind. Many Indians came to see us, who are 
so anxious for battle-axes, that our smiths have not a 
moment's leisure, and procure us an abundance of 
corn." 

HUNTING BUFFALOES ON THE ICE. 

" March 25, 1805. — A fine day, the wind south-west. 
The river rose nine inches, and the ice began break- 
ing away. Our canoes are now nearly read}^, and we 
expect to set out as soon as the river is sufficiently 
clear of ice to permit us to pass. 

" March 29. — The ice came down this morning in 
great quantities. We have had few Indians at the 
fort for the last three or four days, as they are now 
busy in catching the floating buffaloes. Every 
spring, as the river is breaking up, the surrounding 
plains are set on fire, and the buffaloes tempted to 
cross the river in search of the fresh grass which im- 
mediately succeeds to the burning. On their way, 
they are often insulated on a large cake or mass of 
ice which floats down the river. The Indians now 
select the most favorable points for attack, and, as the 
buffalo approaches, run with astonishing agility across 
the trembling ice, sometimes pressing liglitly a cake 



56 OREGON. 

of not more than two feet square. The animal is, of 
course, unsteady, and his footsteps insecure, on this 
new element, so that he can make but little resist- 
ance ; and the hunter who has given him his death- 
wound paddles his icy boat to the shore, and secures 
his prey." 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE MARCH RESUMED. 

"CIROM tlie 1st of November, 1804, to the 1st of 
April, 1805, the expedition remained stationary 
at their fort. Some of their number had been sent 
back to the States with despatches to the Govern- 
ment, and with specimens of the natural productions 
of the country. On resuming their march on the 
4th of April, the party consisted of thirty-two per- 
sons. Besides the commanders, there were three ser- 
geants, — Ordway, Prior, and Gass ,* twenty-three pri- 
vates, besides Capt. Clark's black servant York ; two 
interpreters, — George Drewyer and Toussaint Cha- 
boneau. The wife of Chaboneau, an Indian woman, 
with her young child, accompanied her husband. All 
this party, with the luggage, was stored in six small 
canoes and two pirogues. They left the fort with 
fair weather, and, after making four miles, encamped 
on the north side of the river, nearly opposite the 
first Mandan village. We continue their journal. 

57 



58 OREGON. 

THE RIVER-SHORE. 

" April 8. — The river-banks exhibit indications of 
volcanic agency. The bluffs which we passed to-day 
are upwards of one hundred feet high, composed of 
yellow clay and sand, with horizontal strata of car- 
bonated wood resembling pit-coal, from one to five 
feet in thickness, scattered through the bluff at differ- 
ent elevations. Great quantities of pumice-stone and 
lava are seen in many parts of the hills, where they 
are broken and washed into gullies by the rain. We 
passed a bluff which is on fire, and throws out quanti- 
ties of smoke, which has a strong, sulphurous smell. 
On the sides of the hills is a white substance, which 
appears in considerable quantities on the surface, and 
tastes like a mixture of common salt with Glauber 
salts. Many of the springs which come from the foot 
of the hills are so impregnated with this substance, 
that the water has an unpleasant taste, and a purga- 
tive effect." 

THE PRAIRIE-MICE. 

"April, 1805. — We saw, but could not procure, an 
animal that burrows in the ground, similar to the 
burrowing-squirrel, except that it is only one-third of 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 59 

its size. This may -be the animal whose works wo 
have often seen in the plains and prairies. They con- 
sist of a little hillock of ten or twelve pounds of loose 
earth, which would seem to have been reversed from 
a flower-pot ; and no aperture is seen in the ground 
from which it could have been brought. On remov- 
ing gently the earth, you discover that the soil has 
been broken in a circle of about an inch and a half in 
diameter, where the ground is looser, though still no 
opening is perceptible. When we stopped for dinner, 
the Indian woman went out, and, penetrating with a 
sharp stick the holes of the mice, brought a quantity 
of wild artichokes, which tlie mice collect, and hoard 
in large quantities. The root is white, of an ovate 
form, from one to three inches long, and generally of 
the size of a man's finger ; and two, four, and some- 
times six roots are attached to a single stalk. Its fla- 
vor, as well as the stalk that issues from it, resemble 
those of the Jerusalem artichoke, except that the lat- 
ter is much larger." 

THE YELLOW-STONE RIVER. 

" Certain signs, known to the hunters, induced them 
to believe that we were at no great distance from the 
Yellow-stone River. In order to prevent delay, Capt. 



60 OREGON. 

Lewis determined to go on by land in search of that 
river, and make the necessary observations, so as to 
enable us to proceed immediately after the boats 
should join him. 

" On leaving the party, he pursued his route along 
the foot of the hills ; ascending which, the wide plains 
watered by the Missouri and the Yellow-stone spread 
themselves before his eye, occasionally varied with 
the wood of the banks, enlivened by the windings of 
the two rivers, and animated by vast herds of buffa- 
loes, deer, elk, and antelope." 

NATURAL HISTORY. 

"May, 1805. — We reached the mouth of a river 
flowing from the north, which, from the unusual num- 
ber of porcupines near it, we called Porcupine River. 
These animals are so careless and clumsy, that we can 
approach very near without disturbing them as they 
are feeding on the young willows. The porcupine is 
common in all parts of the territory', and for its quills 
is held in high estimation by the Indians. It is inter- 
esting to see with how much ingenuity, and in how 
many various forms, the Indians manufacture these 
quills into ornamental work, such as moccasons, belts, 
and various other articles." 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 61 



WOLVES. 



" The wolves are very numerous, and of two spe- 
cies. First, the small wolf, or burrowing dog of the 
prairies, which is found in almost all the open plains. 
It is of an intermediate size, between the fox and dog, 
very delicately formed, fleet and active. The ears 
are large, erect, and pointed ; the head long and 
pointed, like that of a fox ; the tail long and bushy ; 
the hair and fur of a pale reddish-brown, and much 
coarser than that of the fox. These animals usually 
associate in bands of ten or twelve, and are rarely, if 
ever, seen alone ; not being able singly to attack a 
deer or antelope. They live, and rear their young, in 
burrows, which they fix near some pass much fre- 
quented by game, and sally out in a body against any 
animal which they think they can overpower, but, on 
the slightest alarm, retreat to their burrows, making 
a noise exactly like that of a small dog. 

" The second species is lower, shorter in the legs, 
and thicker, than the Atlantic wolf. They do not 
burrow, nor do they bark, but howl ; and they fre- 
quent the woods and plains, and skulk along the 
herds of buffaloes, in order to attack the weary or 
wounded." 



02 OREGON. 



ELK. 



"Among the animals of the deer kind, the elk is the 
largest and most majestic. It combines beauty with 
magnitude and strength; and its large, towering 
horns give it an imposing appearance. Its senses 
are so keen in apprehension, that it is difficult to 
be approached ; and its speed in flight is so great, 
that it mocks the chase. Its flesh resembles beef, 
but is less highly flavored, and is much sought for by 
the Indians and hunters. Its skin is esteemed, and 
much used in articles of clothing and for moccasons." 

BEAVERS. 

" We saw many beavers to-day. The beaver seems 
to contribute very much to the widening of the river 
and the formation of islands. They begin by dam- 
ming up the channels of about twenty yards widtli 
between the islands. This obliges the river to seek 
another outlet ; and, as soon as this is effected, the 
channel stopped by the beaver becomes filled with 
mud and sand. The industrious animal is thus driven 
to another channel, which soon shares the same fate ; 
till the river spreads on all sides, and cuts the pro- 
jecting points of land into islands. 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 63 

" The beaver clams differ in shape, according to 
the nature of the place in which they are built. If the 
water in the river or creek have but little motion, the 
dam is almost straight ; but, when the current is more 
rapid, it is always made with a considerable curve, 
convex toward the stream. The materials made use 
of are drift-wood, green willows, birch, and poplars, 
if they can be got ; also mud and stones, intermixed 
in such a manner as must evidently contribute to the 
strength of the dam. In places which have been long 
frequented by beavers undisturbed, their dams, by 
frequent repairing, become a solid bank, capable of 
resisting a great force both of water and ice ; and as 
the willow, poplar, and birch generally take root, and 
shoot up, they, by degrees, form a kind of regular 
planted hedge, in some places so tall that birds 
build their nests among the branches. The beaver- 
houses are constructed of the same materials as their 
dains, and are always proportioned in size to the num- 
ber of inhabitants, which seldom exceeds four old 
and six or eight young ones. The houses are of a 
much ruder construction than their dams : for, not- 
withstanding the sagacity of these animals, it has 
never been observed that they aim at any other con- 
venience in their house than to have a dry place to lie 



64 OREGON. 

on ; and there they usually eat their victuals, such as 
they take out of the water. Their food consists of 
roots of plants, like the pond-lily, which grows at the 
bottom of the lakes and rivers. They also eat the 
bark of trees, particularly those of the poplar, birch, 
and willow. 

" The instinct of the beavers leading them to live in 
associations, they are in an unnatural position, when, 
in any locality, their numbers are so much reduced as 
to prevent their following this instinct. The beaver 
near the settlement is sad and solitary : his works 
have been swept away, his association broken up, 
and he is reduced to the necessity of burrowing in 
the river-bank, instead of building a house for himself. 
Such beavers are called 'terriers.' One traveller 
says that these solitaries are also called ' old bache- 
lors.' " 

THE WHITE, BROWN, OR GRISLY BEAR. 

" April 2&. — All these names are given to the same 
species, which probably changes in color with the sea- 
son, or with the time of life. Of the strength and 
ferocity of this animal, the Indians give dreadful ac- 
counts. They never attack him but in parties of six 
or eight persons, and, even then, are often defeated 
with the loss of some of the party. 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 65 

"May 18. — One of our men who Lad been suffered 
to go ashore came running to the boats with cries 
and every symptom of terror. As soon as he could 
command his breath, he told us, that, about a mile 
below, he had shot a white bear, which immediately 
turned and ran towards him, but, being wounded, 
had not been able to overtake him. Capt. Lewis, with 
seven men, went in search of the bear, and, hav- 
ing found his track, followed him by the blood for a 
mile, came up with him, and shot him with two balls 
through the skull. He was a monstrous animal, and 
a most formidable enemy. Our man had shot him 
through the centre of the lungs : yet the bear 
had pursued him furiously for half a mile ; then re- 
turned more than twice that distance, and, with his 
talons, dug himself a bed in the earth, two feet deep 
and five feet long, and was perfectly alive when they 
found him, which was at Iciist two hours after he re- 
ceived the wound. The fleece and skin of the bear 
were a heavy burden for two men; and the oil 
amounted to eight gallons. 

" The wonderful power of life of these animals, add- 
ed to their great strength, renders them very formi- 
dable. Their very track in tlie mud or sand, which 
we have sometimes found eleven inches long and 

5 



66 OREGON. 

seven and a quarter wide, exclusive of the talons, is 
alarming ; and we had rather encounter two Indians 
than a single brown bear. There is no chance of 
killing them by a single shot, unless the ball is sent 
through the brain; and this is very difficult to be 
done, on account of two large muscles which cover 
the side of the forehead, and the sharp projection 
of the frontal bone, which is very thick." 

NOTE. 

Their strength is astonishingly gi-eat. Lieut. Stein of the 
dragoons, a man of undoubted veracity, told me he saw some 
buffaloes passing near some bushes where a grisly bear lay con- 
cealed : the bear, with one stroke, tore thi-ee ribs from a buf- 
falo, and left it dead. — Parker. • 

Although endowed with such strength, and powers of destruc- 
tion, the grisly bear is not disposed to begin the attack. Mr. 
Drummond, a later traveller, states, that, in his excursions over 
the Rocky Mountains, he had fre{p.ent opportunity of observ- 
ing the manners of these animals ; and it often happened, that 
in turrfing the jwint of a rock, or sharp angle of a valley, he 
came suddenly upon one or more of them. On such occasions 
they reared on their hind-legs, and made a loud noise like' a ' 
person breathing quick, but much harsher. He kept his 
ground, without attempting to molest them ; and they on their 
part, after attentively regarding him for some time, generally 
wheeled round, and galloped off: though, from their known dis- 
position, there is little doubt but he would have been torn in 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 



67 



THE BLACK BEAR. 

« The black bear, commoD in the United States, is 
scarcely more than half the size of the grisly bear. 
Its favorite food is berries of various kinds ; but, 
when these are not to be procured, it lives upon 
roots, insects, fish, eggs, and such birds and quadru- 
peds as it can surprise. It passes the winter in a 
torpid state, selecting a spot for its den under a fallen 
tree, and, having scratched away a portion of the soil, 
retires to the place at the commencement of a snow- 
storm, when the snow soon furnishes it with a close, 
warm covering. Its breath makes a small opening in 
the den, and the quantity of hoar-frost which gathers 
round the hole serves to betray its retreat to the 
hunter. In more southern districts, where the timber 
is of larger size, bears often shelter themselves in hol- 
low trees." 

BUFFALOES. 

" The buffalo is about as large as our domestic cat- 
tle ; and their long, shaggy, woolly hair, which covers 



pieces, had he lost his presence of mind and attempted to fly. 
When he discovered them at a distance, he often frightened 
them away by beating on a large tin box in which he caiiied 
his specimens of plants. 



68 OREGON. 

their head, neck, and shoulders, gives them a formi- 
dable appearance, and, at a distance, something like 
that of the lion. In many respects, they resemble 
our horned cattle ; are cloven-footed, chew the cud, 
and select the same kind of food. Their flesh is in 
appearance and taste much like beef, but of superior 
flavor. Their heads are formed like the ox, perhaps 
a little more round and broad ; and, when they run, 
they carry them rather low. Their horns, ears, 
and eyes, as seen through their shaggy hair, appear 
small, and, cleared from their covering, are not large. 
Their legs and feet are small and trim ] the fore-legs 
covered with the long hair of the shoulders, as low 
down as the knee. Though their figure is clumsy in 
appearance, they run swiftly, and for a long time 
without much slackening their speed ; and, up steep 
hills or mountains, they more than equal the best 
horses. They unite in herds, and, when feeding, 
scatter over a large space ; but, when fleeing from 
danger, they collect into dense columns : and, having 
once laid their course, they are not easily diverted 
from it, whatever may oppose. So far are they from 
being a fierce or revengeful animal, that they are very 
shy and timid ; and in no case did we see them offer 
to make an attack but in self-defence, and then they 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 69 

always sought the first opportunit}^ to escape. When 
they run, they lean alternately from side to side. They 
are fond of rolling upon the ground hke horses, which 
is not practised by our domestic cattle. This is so 
much their diversion, that large places are found 
without grass, and considerably excavated by them." 

NOTE. 

Rev. Mr. Parker thus describes a buffalo-hunt : — 
" To-day we unexpectedly saw before us a large herd of buf- 
faloes. All halted to make preparation for the chase. The 
young men, and all the good hunters, prepared themselves, se- 
lected the swiftest horses, examined the few guns they had, and 
also took a supply of arrows with their bows. They advanced 
towards the herd of buffaloes with gi-eat caution, lest they 
should frighten them before they should make a near approach, 
and also to reserve the power of their horses for the chase, when 
it should be necessary to bring it into full requisition. When 
the buffaloes took the alarm, and fled, the rush was made, each 
Indian selecting for himself the one to which he happened to 
come nearest. All were in swift motion, scouring the valley. 
A cloud of dust began to rise ; firing of guns, and shooting of 
arrows, followed in close succession. Soon, here and there, buf- 
faloes were seen prostrated ; and the women, who followed close 
in the rear, began the work of securing the acquisition, and the 
men were away again in pursuit of the flying herd. Those in 
the chase, when as near as two rods, shoot and wheel, expecting 
the wounded animal to turn upon them. The horses seemed to 
understand the way to avoid danger. As soon as the wounded 



70 OREGON. 

INDIAN METHOD OP HUNTING THE BUFFALO. 

"May 30, 1805. — "We passed a precipice about 
one hundred and twenty feet high, under which lay 
scattered the fragments of at least a hundred car- 
casses of buffaloes. These buffaloes had been chased 
down the precipice in a way very common on the 
Missouri, and by which vast herds are destroyed in 
a moment. The mode of hunting is to select one of 
the most active and fleet young men, who is dis- 
guised by a buffalo-skin round his body ; the skin of 
the head, with the ears and horns, fastened on his 
own head in such a way as to deceive the buffaloes. 
Thus dressed, he fixes himself at a convenient dis- 
tance between a herd of buffaloes and any of the 
river precipices, which sometimes extend for some 
miles. His companions, in the mean time, get in the 
rear and side of the herd, and, at a given signal, show 
themselves, and advance towards the buffaloes. They 
instantly take the alarm ; and, finding the hunters 
beside them, they run toward the disguised Indian, 
or decoy, who leads them on, at full speed, toward 



animal flies again, the chase is renewed ; and such is the alter- 
nate wheeling and chasing, until the buffalo sinks beneath his 
wounds." 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 71 

the river ; when, suddenly securing himself in some 
crevice of the cliff which he had previously fixed on, 
the herd is left on the brink of the precipice. It is 
then in vain for the foremost to retreat, or even to 
stop. They are pressed on by the hindmost rank, 
who, seeing no danger but from the hunters, goad on 
those before them, till the whole are precipitated"* 
over the cliff, and the shore is covered with their 
dead bodies. Sometimes, in this perilous adventure, 
the Indian decoy is either trodden under foot, or, 
missing his footing in the cliff, is urged down the 
precipice by the falling herd." 

WHICH IS THE TRUE RIVER? 

" June 3, 1805. — We came to for the night, for the 
purpose of examining in the morning a large river 
which enters opposite to us. It now became an in- 
teresting question, which of those two streams is what 
the Indians call Ahmateahza, or the Missouri, which, 
they tell us, has its head waters very near to the Co- 
lumbia. On our right decision much of the fate of 
the expedition depends ; since, if, after ascending to 
the Rocky Mountains or beyond them, we should 
find that the river we have been tracing does not 
come near the Columbia, and be obliged to turn back, 



72 OREGON. 

we shall have lost the travelling season, and seriously 
disheartened our men. We determined, therefore, to 
examine well before deciding on our course, and, for 
this purpose, despatched two canoes with three men 
up each of the streams, with orders to ascertain the 
width, depth, and rapidity of the currents, so as to 
* judge of their comparative bodies of water. Parties 
were also sent out by land to penetrate the country, 
and discover from the rising grounds, if possible, the 
distant bearings of the two rivers. While they were 
gone, the two commanders ascended together the 
high grounds in the fork of the two rivers, whence 
they had an extensive prospect of the surrounding 
country. On every side, it was spread into one vast 
plain covered with verdure, in which innumerable 
herds of buffaloes were roaming, attended by their 
enemies the wolves. Some flocks of elk also were 
seen ; and the solitary antelopes were scattered, with 
their young, over the plain. The direction of the 
rivers could not be long distinguished, as they were 
soon lost in the extent of the plain. 

" On our return, we continued our examination. 
The width of the north branch is two hundred yards ; 
that of the south is three hundred and seventy- 
two. The north, though narrower, is deeper than the 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 73 

south : its waters also are of the same whitish-brown 
color, thickness, and turbidness as the Missouri. 
They run in the same boiling and roaring manner 
which has uniformly characterized the Missouri ; 
and its bed is composed of some gravel, but princi- 
pally mud. The south fork is broader, and its waters 
are perfectly transparent. The current is rapid, but 
the surface smooth and unruffled ; and its bed is com- 
posed of round and flat smooth stones, like those of 
rivers issuing from a mountainous country. 

'' In the evening, the exploring parties returned, 
after ascending the rivers in canoes for some distance, 
then continuing on foot, just leaving themselves time 
to return by night. Their accounts were far from 
deciding the important question of our future route ; 
and we therefore determined each of us to ascend 
one of the rivers during a day and a half's march, or 
farther, if necessary for our satisfaction. 

"Tuesday, June 4, 1805. — This morning, Capt. 
Lewis and Capt. Clarke set out, each with a small 
party, by land, to explore the two rivers. Capt. Lewis 
traced the course of the north fork for fifty-nine miles, 
and found, that, for all that distance, its direction was 
northward ; and, as the latitude we were now in was 



74 OREGON. 

47° 24', it was highly improbable, that, by going far- 
ther north, we should find between this and the Sas- 
catchawan any stream which can, as the Indians as- 
sure us the Missouri does, possess a navigable cur- 
rent for some distance within the Rocky Mountains. 

" These considerations, with others drawn from the 
observations of Capt. Clarke upon the south branch, 
satisfied the chiefs that the South River was the true 
Missouri ; but the men generally were of a contrary 
opinion, and much of their belief depended upon Cru- 
satte, an experienced waterman on the Missouri, who 
gave it as his opinion that the north fork was the 
main river. In order that nothing might be omitted 
which .could prevent our falling into error, it was 
agreed that one of us should ascend the southern 
branch by land until he reached either the falls or 
the mountains. In the mean time, in order to lighten 
our burdens as much as possible, we determined to 
deposit here all the heavy baggage which we could 
possibly spare, as well as some provisions, salt, pow- 
der, and tools. The weather being fair, we dried all 
our baggage and merchandise, and made our deposit, 
or cache. ' Owe cache is made in this manner: In the 
high plain on the side of the river, we choose a dry 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 75 

situation, and, drawing a small circle of about twenty 
inches diameter, remove the sod as carefully as pos- 
sible. The hole is then sunk perpendicularly a foot 
deep, or more if the ground be not firm. It is now 
worked gradually wider as it deepens, till at length it 
becomes six or seven feet deep, shaped nearly like a 
kettle, or the lower part of a large still, with the bot- 
tom somewhat sunk at the centre. As the earth is 
dug, it is carefully laid on a skin or cloth, in which it 
is carried away, and thrown into the river, so as to 
leave no trace of it. A floor to the cache is then 
made of dry sticks, on. which is thrown hay, or a hide 
perfectly dry. The goods, being well aired and dried, 
are laid on this floor, and prevented from touching the 
sides by other dried sticks, as the baggage is stowed 
away. When the hole is nearly full, a skin is laid 
over the goods ; and, on this, earth is thrown, and 
beaten down, until, with the addition of the sod, the 
whole is on a level with the ground, and there remains 
no appearance of an excavation. Careful measure- 
ments are taken to secure the ready recovery of the 
cache on the return ; and the deposit is left in perfect 
confidence of finding every thing safe and sound after 
the lapse of months, or even years." 



76 OREGON. 

THE FALLS OF THE MISSOURI. 

"June 12. — This morning, Capt. Lewis set out 
with four men on an exploration, to ascend the south- 
ern branch, agreeably to our plan. He left the bank 
of the river in order to avoid the deep ravines, 
which generally extend from the shore to a distance 
of two or three miles in the plain. On the second 
day, having travelled about sixty miles from the point 
of departure, on a sudden their ears were saluted 
with the agreeable sound of falling water ; and, as 
they advanced, a spray which seemed driven by the 
wind rose above the plain like a column of smoke, 
and vanished in an instant. Towards this point, Capt. 
Lewis directed his steps ; and the noise, increasing as 
he approached, soon became too powerful to be as- 
cribed to any thing but the Great Falls of the Mis- 
souri. Having travelled seven miles after first hear- 
ing the sound, he reached the falls. The hills, as he 
approached the river, were difficult of transit, and two 
hundred feet high. Down these he hurried, and, seat- 
ing himself on a rock, enjoyed the spectacle of this 
stupendous object, which, ever since the creation, 
had been lavishing its magnificence upon the desert, 
unseen by civilized man. 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 77 

" The river, immediately at its cascade, is three 
hundred yards wide, and is pressed in by a perpen- 
dicular cliff, which rises to about one hundred feet, 
and extends up the stream for a mile. On the other 
side, the bluff is also perpendicular for three hundred 
yards above the falls. For ninety or a hundred 
yards from the left cliff, the water falls in one smooth, 
even sheet, over a precipice eighty feet in height. 
The remaining part of the river rushes with an ac- 
celerated current, but, being received as it falls by 
irregular rocks below, forms a brilliant spectacle of 
perfectly white foam, two hundred yards in length, 
and eighty in height. Tlie spray is dissipated into a 
thousand shapes, on all of which the sun impresses 
the brightest colors of the rainbow. The principal 
cascade is succeeded by others of less grandeur, but 
of exceeding beauty and great variety, for about 
twenty miles in extent." * 

A PORTAGE. 

"June 21. — Having reached the falls, we found 
ourselves obliged to get past them by transporting 
our boats overland by what is called a portage. The 

* Dimensions of Niagara Falls, — American, 960 feet wide, 162 feet 
high ; English, 700 feet wide, 150 feet high. 



78 OREGON. 

distance was eighteen miles. It was necessary to 
construct a truck or carriage to transport the boats ; 
and the making of the wheels and the necessary 
framework took ten days. The axle-trees, made of 
an old mast, broke repeatedly, and the cottonwood 
tongues gave way ; so that the men were forced to 
carry as much baggage as they could on their backs. 
The prickly pear annoyed them much by sticking 
through their moccasons. It required several trips to 
transport all the canoes and baggage ; and, though the 
men put double soles to their moccasons, the prickly 
pear, and the sharp points of earth formed by the 
trampling of the buffaloes during the late rains, 
wounded their feet ; and, as the men were laden as 
heavily as their strength would permit, the crossing 
was very painful. They were obliged to halt and 
rest frequently ; and, at almost every stopping-place, 
they would throw themselves down, and fall asleep in 
an instant. Yet no one complained, and they went 
on with cheerfulness. 

" Having decided to leave here one of the pirogues, 
we set to work to fit up a boat of skins, upon a frame 
of iron which had been prepared at the armory at 
Harper's Ferry. It was thirty-six feet long, four feet 
and a half wide at top, and twenty-six inches wide 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 79 

at bottom. It was with difficulty we found the ne- 
cessary timber to complete it, even tolerably straight 
sticks, four and a half feet long. The sides were 
formed of willow-bark, and, over this, elk and buffalo 
skins." 

A NAKROW ESCAPE. 

" June 29. — Capt. Clarke, having lost some notes 
and remarks which he had made on first ascending 
the river, determined to go up along its banks in 
order to supply the deficiency. He had reached the 
falls, accompanied by his negro-servant York, and by 
Chaboneau, the half-breed Indian interpreter, and 
his wife with her young child. On his arrival there, he 
observed a dark cloud in the west, which threatened 
rain; and looked around for some shelter. About a 
quarter of a mile above the falls he found a deep rar 
vine, where there were some shelving rocks, under 
which they took refuge. They were perfectly shel- 
tered from the rain, and therefore laid down their 
guns, compass, and other articles which they carried 
with them. The shower was at first moderate ; it 
then increased to a heavy rain, the efi"ects of which 
they did not feel. Soon after, a torrent of rain and 



80 OREGON. 

hail descended. The rain seemed to fall in a solid 
mass, and, instantly collecting in the ravine, came 
rolling down in a dreadful torrent, carrying the mud 
and rocks, and every thing that opposed it. Capt. 
Clarke fortunately saw it a moment before it reached 
them, and springing up, with his gun in his left hand, 
with his right he clambered up the steep bluflf, push- 
ing on the Indian woman with her child in her arms. 
Her husband, too, had seized her hand, and was pull- 
ing her up the hill, but was so terrified at the danger, 
that, but for Capt. Clarke, he would have been lost, 
with his wife and child. So instantaneous was the 
rise of the water, that, before Capt. Clarke had se- 
cured his gun and begun to ascend the bank, the 
water was up to his waist ; and he could scarce get 
up faster than it rose, till it reached the height of fif- 
teen feet, with a furious current, which, had they 
waited a moment longer, would have swept them into 
the river, just above the falls, down which they must 
inevitably have been carried. As it was, Capt. Clarke 
lost his compass, Chaboneau his gun, shot-pouch, and 
tomahawk; and the Indian woman had just time to 
grasp her child -before the net in which it lay was 
carried down the current." 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 



81 



PROGRESS RESUMED. 

" July 4. — The boat was now completed, except 
what was in fact the most difficult part, — the making 
her seams secure. Having been unsuccessful in all 
our attempts to procure tar, we have formed a com- 
position of pounded charcoal with beeswax and buffa- 
lo-tallow to supply its place. If this resource fail 
us, it will be very unfortunate, as, in every other re- 
spect, the boat answers our purpose completely. Al- 
though not quite dry, she can be carried with ease by 
five men : she is very strong, and will carry a load of 
eight thousand pounds, with her complement of men. 

li July 9. The boat having now become sufficient- 
ly dry, we gave it a coat of the composition, then a 
second, and launched it into the water. She swam 
perfectly well. The seats were then fixed, and the 
oars fitted. But after a few hours' exposure to the 
wind, which blew with violence, we discovered that 
nearly all the composition had separated from the skins, 
so that she leaked very much. To repair this misfor- 
tune without pitch was impossible ; and, as none of 
that article was to be procured, we were obliged to 
abandon her, after having had so much labor in the 
construction. 



82 OB EG ON. 

" It now becomes necessary to provide other means 
for transporting tlie baggage wliich we had intended 
to stow in her. For this purpose, we shall want two 
canoes ; but for many miles we have not seen a single 
tree fit to be used for that purpose. The hunters, 
however, report that there is a low ground about 
eight miles above us by land, and more than twice 
that distance by water, in which we may probably 
find trees large enough. Capt. Clarke has therefore 
determined to set out by land for that place, with ten 
of the best workmen, who will be occupied in build- 
ing the canoes, till the rest of the party, after taking 
the boat to pieces and making the necessary deposits, 
shall transport the baggage, and join them with the 
other six canoes. 

" Capt. Clarke accordingly proceeded on eight 
miles by land ; the distance by water being twenty- 
three miles. Here he found two cottonwood-trees, 
and proceeded to convert them into boats. The rest 
of the party took the iron boat to pieces, and deposit- 
ed it in a cache, or hole, with some other articles of 
less importance. 

"July 11. — Sergeant Ordway, with four canoes 
and eight men, set sail in the morning to the place 



THE MARCH RESUMED. 83 

where Capt. Clarke had fixed his camp. The canoes 
were unloaded and sent back, and the remainder of 
the baggage in a second trip was despatched to the 
upper camp. 

" July 15. — We rose early, embarked all our bag- 
gage on board the canoes, which, though eight in 
number, were heavily laden, and at ten o'clock set out 
on our journey. 

♦ " July 16. — We had now arrived at the point 
where the Missouri emerges from the Rocky Moun- 
tains. The current of the river becomes stronger as 
we advance, and the spurs of the mountain approach 
towards the river, which is deep, and not more than 
seventy yards wide. The low grounds are now but 
a few yards in width ; yet they furnish room for an 
Indian road, which winds under the hills on the north 
side of the river. The general range of these hills 
is from south-east to north-west ; and the cliffs them- 
selves are about eight hundred feet above the water, 
formed almost entirely of a hard black rock, on which 
are scattered a few dwarf pine and cedar trees. 

" As the canoes were heavily laden, all the men not 
employed in working them walked on shore. The 
navigation is now very laborious. The river is deep, 



84 OREGON. 

but with little current ; the low grounds are very nar- 
row ; the cliffs are steep, and hang over the river so 
much, that, in places, we could not pass them, but 
were obliged to cross and recross from one side of 
the river to the other in order to make our way." 



CHAPTER VII. 

JOURNEY CONTINUED. 

JU£,Y 4. — Since our arrival at the falls, we 
have repeatedly heard a strange noise coming 
from the mountains, in a direction a little to the north 
of west. It is heard at different periods of the day 
and night, sometimes when the air is perfectly still 
and without a cloud ; and consists of one stroke only, 
or of five or six discharges in quick succession. It 
is loud, and resembles precisely the sound of a six- 
pound piece of ordnance, at the distance of three 
miles. The Minnetarees frequently mentioned this 
noise, like thunder, which they said the mountains 
made ; but we had paid no attention to them, believ- 
ing it to be some superstition, or else a falsehood. 
The watermen also of the party say that the Pawnees 
and Ricaras give the same account of a noise heard 
in the Black Mountains, to the westward of them. 
The solution of the mystery, given by the philosophy 

85 



86 OREGON. 

of the watermen, is, that it is occasioned by the 
bursting of the rich mines of silver confined within 
the bosom "of the mountain."^ 

" An elk and a beaver are all that were killed to-day : 
the buffaloes seem to have withdrawn from our neigh- 
borhood. We contrived, however, to spread a com- 
fortable table in honor of the day ; and in the evening 
gave the men a drink of spirits, which was the last of 
our stock." 

VEGETATION. 

"July 15. — We find the prickly-pear — one of the 
greatest beauties, as well as one of the greatest 
inconveniences, of the plains — now in full bloom. 
The sunflower too, a plant common to every part of 
the Missouri, is here very abundant, and in bloom. 
The Indians of the Missouri, and more especially those 
who do not cultivate maize, make great use of this 
plant for bread, and in thickening their soup. They 
first parch, and then pound it between two stones 

* There are many stories, from other sources, confirmatory of these 
noises in mountainous districts. One solution, suggested by Humboldt, 
— who docs not, however, record the fact as of his own observation, — 
is, that " this curious plienomcnon announces a disengagement of hydro- 
gen, produced by a bed of coal in a state of combustion." This solu- 
tion is applicable only to mountains which contain coal, unless chemical 
changes in other minerals might be supposed capable of producing a 
similar effect. 



THE MOUNTAIN HAM. 87 

until it is reduced to a fine meal. Sometimes they 
add a portion of water, and drink it thus diluted ; at 
other times they add a sufficient proportion of mar- 
mow-fat to reduce it to the consistency of common 
dough, and eat it in that manner. This last compo- 
sition we preferred to the rest, and thought it at that 
time very palatable. 

" There are also great quantities of red, purple, yel- 
low, and black currants. The currants are very 
pleasant to the taste, and much preferable to those 
of our gardens. The fruit is not so acid, and has a 
more agreeable flavor." 

THE BIG-HORNED OR MOUNTAIN RAM. 

"July 18. — This morning we saw a large herd of 
the big-horned animals, who were bounding among 
the rocks in the opposite cliff with great agility. 
These inaccessible spots secure them from all their 
enemies ; and the only danger they encounter is in 
wandering among these precipices, where we should 
suppose it scarcely possible for any animal to stand. 
A single false step would precipitate them at least 
five hundred feet into the river. 

" The game continues abundant. We killed to-day 
the largest male elk we have yet seen. On placing 



88 OB EG ON. 

it in its natural, erect position, we found that it 
measured five feet three inches from the point of 
the hoof to the top of the shoulder. 

" The antelopes are yet lean. This fleet and quick- 
sighted animal is generally the victim of its curiosity. 
When they first see the hunters, they run with great 
velocity. If the hunter lies down on the ground, and 
lifts up his arm, his hat, or his foot, the antelope 
returns on a light trot to look at the object, and 
sometimes goes and returns two or three times, till 
at last he approaches within reach of the rifle. So, 
too, they sometimes leave their flock to go and look 
at the wolves, who crouch down, and, if the antelope 
be frightened at first, repeat the same manoeuvre, 
and sometimes relieve each other, till they decoy the 
antelope from his party near enough to seize it." 

THE GATES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 

" July 20. — During the day, in the confined valley 
through which we are passing, the heat is almost 
insupportable ; yet, whenever we obtain a glimpse of 
the lofty tops of the mountains, we are tantalized 
with a view of the snow. A mile and a half farther 
on, the rocks approach the river on both sides, form- 
ing a most sublime and extraordinary spectacle. For 



THE GATES OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 89 

six miles, these rocks rise perpendicularly from the 
water's edge to the height of nearly twelve hundred 
feet. They are composed of a black granite near the 
base ; but judging from its lighter color above, and 
from fragments that have fallen from it, we suppose 
the upper part to be flint, of a yellowish-brown and 
cream color. Nothing can be imagined more tre- 
mendous than the frowning darkness of these rocks, 
which project over the river, and menace us with 
destruction. The river, one hundred and fifty yards 
in width, seems to have forced its channel down this 
solid mass : but so reluctantly has it given way, that, 
during the whole distance, the water is very deep 
even at the edges ; and, for the first three miles, there 
is not a spot, except one of a few yards in extent, on 
which a man could stand between the water and the 
towering perpendicular of the mountain. The con- 
vulsion of the passage must have been terrible ; 
since, at its outlet, there are vast columns of rock 
torn from the mountain, which are strewed on both 
sides of the river, the trophies, as it were, of victory. 
We were obliged to go on some time after dark, not 
being able to find a spot large enough to encamp on. 
This extraordinary range of rocks we called the Gates 
of the Rocky Mountains." 



90 OREGON. 

NATURAL PRODUCTIONS. 

"July 29. — This morning the hunters brought in 
some fat deer of the long-tailed red Ijind, which are 
the only kind we have found at this place. There 
are numbers of the sandhill-cranes feeding in the 
meadows. We caught a young one, which, though it 
had nearly attained its full growth, could not fly. It 
is very fierce, and strikes a severe blow with its beak. 
The kingfisher has become quite common this side 
of the falls ; but we have seen none of the summer 
duck since leaving that place. Small birds are also 
abundant in the plains. Here, too, are great quan- 
tities of grasshoppers, or crickets ; and, among other 
animals, large ants, with a reddish-brown body and 
legs, and a black head, which build little cones of 
gravel ten or twelve inches high, without a mixture 
of sticks, and with but little earth. In the river we 
see a great abundance of fish, but cannot tempt them 
to bite by any thing on our hooks." 

THE FORKS OF THE MISSOURI. 

" July 28, 1805. — From the height of a limestone 
cliff, Capt. Lewis observed the three forks of the 
Missouri, of which this river is one. The middle and 



THE FORKS OF THE MISSOURI. 91 

south-west forks unite at half a mile above the en- 
trance of the south-east fork. The country watered 
by these rivers, as far as the eye could command, was 
a beautiful combination of meadow and elevated plain, 
covered with a rich grass, and possessing more tim- 
ber than is usual on the Missouri. A range of high 
mountains, partially covered with snow, is seen at a 
considerable distance, running from south to west. 

" To the south-east fork the name of Gallatin was 
assigned, in honor of the Secretary of the Treasury. 
On examining the other two streams, it was difficult 
to decide which was the larger or real Missouri : 
they are each ninety yards wide, and similar in char- 
acter and appearance. We were therefore induced 
to discontinue the name of Missouri, and to give to 
the south-west branch the name of Jefferson, in honor 
of the President of the United States and the project- 
or of the enterprise ; and called the middle branch 
Madison, after James Madison, Secretary of State. 

" July 30. — We reloaded our canoes, and began to 
ascend Jefferson River. The river soon became very 
crooked ; the current, too, is rapid, impeded with 
shoals, which consist of coarse gravel. The islands 
are numerous. On the 7th of August, we had, with 
much fatigue, ascended the river sixty miles, when 



92 OREGON. 

we reached the junction of a stream from the north- 
west, which we named Wisdom River. We con- 
tinued, however, to ascend the south-east branch, 
which we were satisfied was the true continuation 
of the Jefferson." 

\ THE SHOSHONEES, OR SNAKE INDIANS. 

"July 28. — We are now very anxious to see the 
Snake Indians. After advancing for several hundred 
miles into this wild and mountainous country, we 
may soon expect that the game will abandon us. 
With no information of the route, we may be unable 
to find a passage across the mountains when Ave 
reach the head of the river, at least such an one as 
will lead us to the Columbia. And, even were we 
so fortunate as to find a branch- of that river, the 
timber which we have hitherto seen in these moun- 
tains does not promise us any wood fit to make 
canoes ; so that our chief dependence is on meeting 
some tribe from whom we may procure horses. 

" Sacajawea, our Indian woman, informs us that we 
are encamped on the precise spot where her country- 
men, the Snake Indians, had their huts five years 
ago, when the Minnetarees came upon them, killed 
most of the party, and carried her away prisoner. 



THE SHOSHONEES. 93 

She does not, however, show any distress at these 
recollections, nor any joy at the prospect of being 
restored to her country; for she seems to possess 
the folly, or the philosophy, of not suffering her 
feelings to extend beyond the anxiety of having 
plenty to eat, and trinkets to wear. 

"Aug. 9. — Persuaded of the absolute necessity of 
procuring horses to cross the mountains, it was de- 
terQiined that one of us should proceed in the morn- 
ing to the head of the river, and penetrate the 
mountains till he found the Shoshonees, or some 
other nation, who could assist us in transporting our 
baggage. Immediately after breakfast, Capt. Lewis 
took Drewyer, Shields, and McNeal ; and, slinging 
their knapsacks, they set out, with a resolution to 
meet some nation of Indians before they returned, 
however long it might be, 

"Aug. 11. — It was not till the third day after com- 
mencing their search that they met with any success. 
Capt. Lewis perceived with the greatest delight, at 
the distance of two miles, a man on horseback coming 
towards them. On examining him with the glass, 
Capt. Lewis saw that he was of a different nation 
from any we had hitherto met. He was armed with 
a bow and a quiver of arrows, and mounted on an 



94 OREGON. 

elegant horse without a saddle ; while a small string, 
attached to the under-jaw, answered as a bridle. 
Convinced that he was a Shoshonee, and knowing 
how much our success depended upon the friendly 
offices of that nation, Capt. Lewis was anxious to 
approach without alarming him. He therefore ad- 
vanced towards the Indian at his usual pace, f When 
they were within a mile of each other, the Indian 
suddenly stopped. Capt. Lewis immediately followed 
his example ; took his blanket from his knapsack, and, 
holding it with both hands at the two corners, threw 
it above his head, and unfolded it as he brought it to 
the ground, as if in the act of spreading it. This 
signal, which originates in the practice of spreading 
a robe or a skin as a seat for guests to whom they 
wish to show kindness, is the universal sign of friend- 
ship among the Indians. As usual, Capt. Lewis re- 
peated this signal three times. Still the Indian kept 
his position, and looked with an air of suspicion on 
Drewyer and Shields, who were now advancing on 
each side. Capt. Lewis was afraid to make any sig- 
nal for them to halt, lest he should increase the 
suspicions of the Indian, who began to be uneasy; 
and they were too distant to hear his voice. He 
therefore took from his pack some beads, a looking- 



THE SHOSHONEES. 95 

glass, and a few trinkets, which he had brought for 
the purpose; and, leaving his gun, advanced unarmed 
towards the Indian, who remained in the same posi- 
tion till Capt. Lewis came within two hundred yards 
of him, when he turned his horse, and began to move 
off slowly. Capt. Lewis then called out to him, as 
loud as he could, ' Tabba bone,' — which, in the Sho- 
shonee language, means White man; but, looking 
over his shoulder, the Indian kept his eyes on Drew- 
yer and Shields, who were still advancing, till Capt. 
Lewis made a signal to them to halt. This, Drewyer 
obeyed; but Shields did not observe it, and still 
went forward. The Indian, seeing Drewyer halt, 
turned his horse about, as if to wait for Capt. Lewis, 
who had now reached within one hundred and fifty 
paces, repeating the words, ' Tabba bone,' and holding 
up the trinkets in his hand ; at the same time strip- 
ping up his sleeve to show that he was white. The 
Indian suffered him to advance within one hundred 
paces, then suddenly turned his horse, and, giving 
him the whip, leaped across the creek, and disap- 
peared in an instant among the willows. They fol- 
lowed his track four miles, but could not get sight of 
him again, nor find any encampment to which he 
belonged. 



96 ' OREGON. 

"Meanwhile the party in the canoes advanced 
slowly up the river till they came to a large island, 
to which they gave the name of Three-thousand- 
mile Island, on account of its being at that distance 
from the mouth of the Missouri." 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE SOURCES OF THE MISSOURI AND COLUMBIA. 



A 



v., 
UG. 12, 1805. — Capt. Lewis decided to advance 



along the foot of the mountains, hoping to find 
a road leading across them. At the distance of four 
miles from his camp, he found a large, plain, Indian 
road, which entered the valley from the north-east. 
Following this road towards the south-west, the val- 
ley, for the first five miles, continued in the same 
direction ; then the main stream turned abruptly to 
the west, through a narrow bottom between the 
mountains. We traced the stream, which gradually 
became smaller, till, two miles farther up, it had so 
diminished, that one of the men, in a fit of enthusi- 
asm, with one foot on each side of the rivulet, thanked 
God that he had lived to bestride the Missouri. Four 
miles from thence, we came to the spot where, from 

7 97 



98 OREGON. 

the foot of a mountain, issues the remotest water 
of the mighty river 

" We had now traced the Missouri to its source, 
which had never before been seen by civihzed man ; 
and as we quenched our thirst at the pure and icy 
fountain, and stretched ourselves by the brink of the 
little rivulet which yielded its distant and modest 
tribute to the parent ocean, we felt rewarded for 
all our labors. 

'^ We left reluctantly this interesting spot, and, 
pursuing the Indian road, arrived at the top of a 
ridge, from whence we saw high mountains, partially 
covered with snow, still to the west of us. The ridge 
on which we stood formed, apparently, the dividing- 
line between the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic 
Oceans. We followed a descent much steeper than 
that on the eastern side, and, at the distance of 
three-quarters of a mile, reached a handsome, bold 
creek of cold, clear water, running to the westward. 
We stopped for a moment, to taste, for the first time, 
the waters of the Columbia ; and then followed the 
road across hills and valleys, till we found a spring, 
and a sufficient quantity of dry willow-brush for fuel; 
and there halted for the night." 



MEETING WITH INDIANS. 99 

THEY MEET WITH INDIANS. 

"Aug. 13. — Very early in the morning, Capt. 
Lewis resumed the Indian road, which led him in a 
western direction, through an open, broken country. 
At five miles' distance, he reached a creek about ten 
yards wide, and, on rising the hill beyond it, had a 
view of a handsome little valley about a mile in 
width, through which they judged, from the appear- 
ance of the timber, that a stream probably flowed. 
On a sudden, they discovered two women, a man, and 
some dogs, on an eminence about a mile before them. 
The strangers viewed them apparently with much 
attention; and then two of them sat down, as if to 
await Capt. Lewis's arrival. He went on till he had 
reached within about half a mile ; then ordered his 
party to stop, put down his knapsack and rifle, and, 
unfurling the flag, advanced alone towards the In- 
dians. 

" The women soon retreated behind the hill ; but 
the man remained till Capt. Lewis came within a 
hundred yards of him, when he, too, went ofi", though 
Capt. Lewis called out ' Tabba bone ' (' White man '), 
loud enough to be heard distinctly. The dogs, how- 
ever, were less shy, and camo close to him. He 



100 OREGON. 

therefore thought of tying a handkerchief with some 
beads round their necks, and then to let them loose, 
to convince the fugitives of his friendly intentions; 
but the dogs would not suffer him to take hold of 
them, and soon left him. 

" He now made a signal to the men, who joined him ; 
and then all followed the track of the Indians, which 
led along a continuation of the same road they had 
been travelling. It was dusty, and seemed to have 
been much used lately both by foot-passengers and 
horsemen. 

'^ They had not gone along it more than a mile, 
when, on a sudden, they saw three female Indians, 
from whom they had been concealed by the deep 
ravines which intersected the road, till they were 
now within thirty paces of them. One of them, a 
young woman, immediately took to flight : the other 
two, an old woman and little girl, seeing we were 
too near for them to escape, sat on the ground, and, 
holding down their heads, seemed as if reconciled to 
the death which they supposed awaited them. Capt. 
Lewis instantly put down his rifle, and, advancing 
towards them, took the woman by the hand, raised 
her up, and repeated the words, ' Tabba bone,' at 
the same time stripping up his sleeve to show that 



MEETING WITH INDIANS. 101 

he was a white man ; for his hands and face had 
become by exposure quite as dark as their own, 

" She appeared immediately relieved from her 
alarm ; and, Drewyer and Shields now coming up, 
Capt. Lewis gave her some beads, a few awls, pewter 
mirrors, and a little paint, and told Drewyer to re- 
quest the woman to recall her companion, who had 
escaped to some distance, and, by alarming the In- 
dians, might cause them to attack him, without any 
time for explanation. She did as she was desired, 
and the young woman returned readily. Capt. Lewis 
gave her an equal portion of trinkets, and painted 
the tawny cheeks of all three of them with vermil- 
ion, which, besides its ornamental effect, has the 
advantage of being held among the Indians as em- 
blematic of peace. 

" After they had become composed, he informed 
them by signs of his wish to go to their camp in 
order to see their chiefs and warriors. They readily 
complied, and conducted the party along the same 
road down the river. In this way they marched 
two miles, when they met a troop of nearly sixty 
warriors, mounted on excellent horses, riding at full 
speed towards them. As they advanced, Capt. Lewis 
put down his gun, and went with the flag about fifty 



102 OREGON. 

paces in advance. The chief, who, with two men, 
was riding in front of the main body, spoke to the 
women, who now explained that the party was com- 
posed of white men, and showed exultingly the 
presents they had received. The three men imme- 
diately leaped from their horses, came up to Capt. 
Lewis, and embraced him with great cordiality, — 
putting their left arm over his right shoulder, and 
clasping his back, — applying at the same time their 
left cheek to his, and frequently vociferating, ' Ah- 
hi-e ! ' — ' / am glad ! I am glad ! ' 

" The whole body of warriors now came forward, 
and our men received the caresses, and no small 
share of the grease and paint, of their new friends. 
After this fraternal embrace, Capt. Lewis lighted a 
pipe, and offered it to the Indians, who had now 
seated themselves in a circle around our party. But, 
before they would receive this mark of friendship, 
they pulled off their moccasons ; a custom which, we 
afterwards learned, indicates their sincerity when 
they smoke with a stranger. 

" After smoking a few pipes, some trifling presents 
were distributed among them, with which they seemed 
very much pleased, particularly with the blue beads 
and the vermilion. 



MEETING WITH INDIANS. 103 

" Capt. Lewis then informed the chief that the 
object of his visit was friendly, and should be ex- 
plained as soon as he reached their camp ; but that 
in the mean time, as the sun w^as oppressive, and no 
water near, he wished to go there as soon as possible. 
They now put on their raoccasons ; and their chief, 
whose name was Cameawait, made a short speech to 
the warriors. Capt. Lewis then gave him the flag, 
which he informed him was the emblem of peace, 
and that now and for the future it was to be the 
pledge of union between us and them. The chief 
then moved on, our party followed, and the rest of 
the warriors brought up the rear. 

*' At the distance of four miles from where they 
had first met the Indians, they reached the camp, 
which was in a handsome, level meadow on the bank 
of the river. Here they were introduced into a 
leathern lodge which was assigned for their recep- 
tion. After being seated on green boughs and ante- 
lope-skins, one of the warriors pulled up the grass in 

• 
the centre of the lodge, so as to form a vacant circle 

of two feet in diameter, in which he kindled a fire. 
The chief then produced his pipe and tobacco ; tlie 
warriors all pulled off their raoccasons, and our pai-ty 
were requested to take off their own. This being 



104 OREGON: 

done, the chief lighted his pipe at the fire, and then, 
retreating from it, began a speech several minutes 
long ; at the end of Avhich he pointed the stem of 
his pipe towards the four cardinal points of the 
heavens, beginning with the east, and concluding 
with the north. After this ceremony, he presented 
the stem in the same way to Capt. Lewis, who, sup- 
posing it an invitation to smoke, put out his hand to 
receive the pipe ; but the chief drew it back, and 
continued to repeat the same offer three times; after 
which he pointed the stem to the heavens, then 
took three whiffs himself, and presented it again to 
Capt. Lewis. Finding that this last offer was in good 
earnest, he smoked a little, and returned it. The 
pipe was then held to each of the white men, and, 
after they had taken a few whiffs, was given to the 
warriors. 

" The bowl of the pipe was made of a dense, trans- 
parent, green stone, very highly polished, about two 
and a half inches long, and of an oval figure ; the 
bowl being in the same direction with the stem. 
The tobacco is of the same kind with that used by 
the Minnetarees and Mandans of the Missouri. The 
Shoshonees do not cultivate this plant, but obtain it 
from the bands who live farther south. 



MEETING WITH INDIANS. 105 

"The ceremony of smoking being concluded, Capt. 
Lewis explained to the chief the purposes of his visit; 
and, as by this time all the women and children of 
the camp had gathered around the lodge to indulge 
in a view of the first white men they had ever seen, 
he distributed among them the remainder of the 
small articles he had brought with him. 

" It was now late in the afternoon, and our party 
had tasted no food since the night before. On ap- 
prising the chief of this fact, he said that he had 
nothing but berries to eat, and presented some cakes 
made of service-berries and choke-cherries which 
had been dried in the sun. Of these, Capt. Lewis 
and his companions made as good a meal as they 
were able. 

" The chief informed him that the stream which 
flowed by them discharged itself, at the distance of 
half a day's march, into another of twice its size ; 
but added that there was no timber there suitable for 
building canoes, and that the river was rocky and 
rapid. The prospect of going on by land was more 
pleasant; for there were great numbers of horses 
. feeding round the camp, which would serve to trans- 
port our stores over the mountains. 

" An Lidian invited Capt. Lewis into his lodge, 



106 OliEGON. 

and gave him a small morsel of boiled antelope, and 
a piece of fresh salmon, roasted. This was the first 
salmon he had seen, and perfectly satisfied him that 
he was now on the waters of the Pacific, 

" On returning to the lodge, he resumed his con- 
versation with the chief; after which he was enter- 
tained with a dance by the Indians. The music and 
dancing — which were in no respect different from 
those of the Missouri Indians — continued nearly all 
night ; but Capt. Lewis retired to rest about twelve 
o'clock, when the fatigues of the day enabled him to 
sleep, though he was awaked several times by the 
yells of the dancers." 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE PARTY IN THE BOATS. 



A UGUST, 1805.— While these thmgs were occur- 
ring to Capt, Lewis, the party in the boats were 
slowly and laboriously ascending the river. It was 
ver}'- crooked, the bends short and abrupt, and ob- 
structed by so many shoals, over which the canoes 
had to be dragged, that the men were in the water 
three-fourths of the day. They saw numbers of 
otters, some beavers, antelopes, ducks, geese, and 
cranes ; but they killed nothing except a single deer. 
They caught, however, some very fine, trout. The 
weather was cloudy and cool ; and at eight o'clock a 
shower of rain fell. 

Next da}', as the morning was cold, and the men 
stiff and sore from the fatigues of yesterday, they 
did not set out till seven o'clock. The river was 
shallow, and, as it approached the mountains, formed 
one continued rapid, over which they were obliged 

107 



108 • OREGON. 

to drag the boats with great labor and difficulty. 
By these means, they succeeded in making fourteen 
miles; but this distance did not exceed more than 
six and a half in a straight line. 

Several successive days were passed in this man- 
ner (the daily progress seldom exceeding a dozen 
miles), while the party anxiously expected to be 
rejoined by Capt. Lewis and his men, with intelli- 
gence of some relief by the aid of friendly Indians. 
In the mean time, Capt. Lewis was as anxiously ex- 
pecting their arrival, to confirm the good impressions 
he had made on the Indians, as well as to remove 
some lurking doubts they still felt as to his inten- 
tions. 

CAPT. LEWIS AMONG THE .SHOSHGNEES. 

Aug. 14. — In order to give time for the boats to 
reach the forks of Jefferson River, Capt. Lewis deter- 
mined to remain where he was, and obtain all the 
information he could with regard to the country. 
Having nothing to eat but a little flour and parched 
meal, with the berries of the Indians, he sent out 
Drewyer and Shields, who borrowed horses of the 
natives, to hunt. At the same time, the young war- 
riors set out for the same purpose. 



CAPT. LEWIS AMONG THE SHOSHONEES. 109 

There are but few elk or black-tailed deer in this 
region ; and, as the common red deer secrete them- 
selves in the bushes when alarmed, they are soon 
safe from the arrows of the Indian hunters, which 
are but feeble weapons against any animal which the 
huntsmen cannot previously run down. The chief 
game of the Shoshonees, therefore, is the antelope, 
which, when pursued, runs to the open plains, where 
the horses have full room for the chase. But such is 
this animal's extraordinary flectuess and wind, that a 
single horse has no chance of outrunning it, or tiring 
it down ; and the hunters are therefore obliged to 
resort to stratagem. Al^out twenty Indians, mounted 
on fine horses, and armed with bows and arrows, left 
the camp. In a short time, they descried a herd of 
ten antelopes. They immediately separated into little 
squads of two or three, and formed a scattered circle 
round the herd for five or six miles, keeping at a 
wary distance, so as not to alarm them till they were 
perfectly enclosed. Having gained their positions, a 
small party rode towards the herd ; the huntsman 
preserving his seat with wonderful tenacity, and the 
horse his footing, as he ran at full speed over the 
hills, and down the ravines, and along tlie edges 
of precipices. They were soon outstripped by the 



110 OREGON. 

antelope!?, which, on gaining the other limit of 
the circle, were driven back, and pursued by fresh 
hunters. They turned, and flew, rather than ran, in 
another direction ; but there, too, they found new 
enemies. In this way they were alternately driven 
backwards and forwards, till at length, notwithstand- 
ing the skill of the hunters, they all escaped ; and 
the party, after running two hours, returned without 
having caught any thing, and their horses foaming 
with sweat. This chase, the greater part of which 
was seen from the camp, formed a beautiful scene ; 
but to tlie hunters it is exceedingly laborious, and 
so unproductive, even when they are able to worry 
the animal down and shoot him, that forty or fifty 
hunters will sometimes be engaged for half a day 
without obtaining more than two or three antelopes. 
Soon after they returned, our two huntsmen came in 
with no better success. Capt. Lewis therefore made 
a little paste with the flour, and the addition of some 
berries formed a tolerable repast. 

Having now secured the g'ood-will of Cameah- 
wait, Capt. Lewis informed him of his wish, — that he 
would speak to the warriors, and endeavor to engage 
them to accompany him to the forks of Jefferson 
River, where, by this time, another chief, with a 



CAPT. LEWIS AMONG THE SIIOSHONEES. Ill 

large party of white men, were waiting his return. 
He added, that it would he necessary to take about 
thirty liorses to transport the merchandise ; that they 
should be well rewarded for their trouble ; and that, 
when all the party should have reached the Shosho- 
nee camp, they would remain some time among them, 
and trade for horses, as well as concert plans for 
furnishing them in future with regular supplies of 
merchandise. Cameahwait readily consented to do 
as requested ; and, after collecting the tribe to- 
gether, he made a long harangue, and in about an 
hour and a half returned, and told Capt. Lewis that 
they would be ready to accompany him next morning. 
Capt. Lewis rose early, and, having eaten nothing 
yesterday except his scanty meal of flour and ber- 
ries, felt the pain of extreme hunger. On inquiry, 
he found that his whole stock of provisions consisted 
of two pounds of flour. This he ordered to be di- 
vided into two equal parts, and one-half of it boiled 
with the berries into a sort of pudding; and, after 
presenting a large share to the chief, he and his 
three men breakfasted on the remainder. Cameah- 
wait was dehghted with this new dish. He took a 
little of the flour in his hand, tasted it, and examined 
it very carefully, asking if It was made of roots. 



112 OREGON. 

Capt, Lewis explained how it was prorluced, and the 
chief said it was the best thing he had eaten for a 
long time. 

Breakfast being finished, Capt. Lewis endeavored 
to hasten the departure of the Indians, who seemed 
reluctant to move, although the chief addressed them 
twice for the purpose of urging them. On inquiring 
the reason, Capt. Lewis learned that the Indians 
were suspicions that they were to be led into an 
ambuscade, and betrayed to their enemies. He ex- 
erted himself to dispel this suspicion, and succeeded 
so far as to induce eight of the warriors, with Came- 
ahwait, to accompany him. It was about twelve 
o'clock when his small party left the camp, attended 
by Cameahwait and the eight warriors. At sunset 
they reached the river, and encamped about four 
miles above the narrow pass between the hills, which 
they had noticed in their progress some days before. 
Drewyer had been sent forward to hunt ; but he re- 
turned in the evening unsuccessful ; and their only 
supply, therefore, was the remaining pound of flour, 
stirred in a little boiling water, and divided between 
the four white men and two of the Indians. 

Next morning, as neither our party nor the In- 
dians had any thing to eat, Capt. Lewis sent two of 



CAPT. LEWIS AMONG THE SHOSHONEES. 113 

his hunters out to procure some provision. At the 
same time, he requested Cameahwait to prevent his 
young men from going out, lest, by their noise, they 
might alarm the game. This measure immediately 
revived their suspicions, and some of them followed 
our two men to watch them. After the hunters had 
been gone about an hour, Capt. Lewis mounted, with 
one of the Indians behind him, and the whole party 
set out. Just then, they saw one of the spies com- 
ing back at full speed across the plain. The chief 
stopped, and seemed uneasy : the whole band were 
moved with fresh suspicions ; and Capt. Lewis him- 
self was anxious, lest, by some unfortunate accident, 
some hostile tribe might have wandered that way. 
The 3'oung Indian had hardly breath to say a few 
words as he came up, when the whole troop dashed 
forward as fast as their horses could carry them ; and 
Capt. Lewis, astonished at this movement, was borne 
along for nearly a mile, before he learned, with great 
satisfaction, that it was all caused by the spy's having 
come to announce that one of the white men had 
killed a deer. 

When they reached the place where Drewyer, in 
cutting up the deer, had thrown out the intestines, 
the Indians dismounted in confusion, and ran, turn- 



114 OREGON. 

bling over each other, like famished dogs : each tore 
away whatever part he could, and instantly began to 
devour it. Some had the liver, some the kidneys : 
in short, no part on which we are accustomed to look 
with disgust escaped them. It was, indeed, impossi- 
ble to see these wretches ravenously feeding on the 
refuse of animals, and the blood streaming from their 
mouths, without deploring how nearly the condition 
of savages approaches that of the brute creation./ 
Yet, though suffering with hunger, they did not 
attempt to take (as they might have done) by force 
the whole deer, but contented themselves with what 
had been thrown away by the hunter. Capt. Lewis 
had the deer skinned, and, after reserving a quarter 
of it, gave the rest of the animal to the chief, to 
be divided among the Indians, who immediately de- 
voured the whole without cooking. 

THEY MEET THE BOAT PARTY. 

As they were now approaching the place where 
they had been told they should see the white men, 
Capt. Lewis, to guard against any disappointment, 
explained the possibility of our men not having 
reached the forks, in consequence of the difficulty 
of the navigation ; so that, if they should not find 



THEY MEET THE BOAT PARTY. 115 

US at that spot, they might be assured of our being 
not far below. After stopping two hours to let the 
horses graze, they remounted, and rode on rapidly, 
making one of the Indians carry the flag, so that the 
party in the boats might recognize them as they 
approached. To their great mortification, on coming 
within sight of the forks, no canoes were to be seen. 

Uneasy, lest at this moment he should be aban- 
doned, and all his hopes of obtaining aid from the 
Indians be destroyed, Capt. Lewis gave the chief 
his gun, telling him, if the enemies of his nation 
were in the bushes, he might defend himself with it ; 
and that the chief might shoot him as soon as they 
discovered themselves betrayed. The other three 
men at the same time gave their guns to the Indians, 
who now seemed more easy, but still suspicious. 
Luckily, he had a hold on them by other ties than 
their generosity. He had promised liberal exchanges 
for their horses ; but, what was still more attractive, 
he had told them that one of their country-women, 
who had been taken by the Minnetarees, accompanied 
the party below : and one of the men had spread the 
report of our having with us a man perfectly black, 
whose hair was short and curled. This last account 
had excited a great degree of curiosity; and they 



116 OREGON. 

seemed more desirous of seeing this monster than 
of obtaining the most favorable barter for their 
horses. 

In the mean time, the boat party under Capt. 
Clarke, struggling against rapids and shallows, had 
made their way to a point only four miles by land, 
though ten by water, from where Capt. Lewis and 
the Indians were. Capt. Clarke had seen from an 
eminence the forks of the river, and sent the hunters 
up. They must have left it only a short time before 
Capt. Lewis's arrival. 

Aug. 17. — Capt. Lewis rose early, and de- 
spatched Drewyer and the Indian down the river in 
quest of the boats. They had been gone about two 
hours, and the Indians were all anxiously waiting 
for some news, when an Indian who had straggled 
a short distance down the river returjied, with a 
report that he had seen tlie white men, who were 
not far below, and were coming on. The Indians 
were all delighted ; and the chief, in the warmth 
of his affection, renewed his embrace to Capt. Lewis, 
who, though quite as much gratified, would willingly 
have spared that manifestation of it. The report 
proved true. On commencing the day's progress, 
Capt. Clarke, with Chaboneau and his wife, walked 



THEY MEET THE BOAT PARTY. 117 

by the river-side ; but they had not gone more than 
a mile, when Capt. Clarke saw Sacajawea, the Indian 
woman, who Avas some distance in advance, begin to 
dance, and show every mark of extravagant joy, 
pointing to several Indians, whom he now saw ad- 
vancing on horseback. As they approached, Capt. 
Clarke discovered Drewyer among them, from whom 
he learned the situation of Capt. Lewis and his 
party. While the boats were performing the cir- 
cuit, Capt. Clarke went towards the forks with the 
Indians, who, as they went along, sang aloud with 
the greatest appearance of delight. 

They soon drew near the camp ; and, as they 
approached it, a woman made her way through the 
crowd towards Sacajawea, when, recognizing each 
other, they embraced with the most tender affection. 
The meeting of these two young women had in it 
something peculiarly touching. They had been com- 
panions in childhood, and, in the war with the Minne- 
tarees, had both been taken prisoners in the same 
battle. They had shared the same captivity, till one 
had escaped, leaving her friend with scarce a hope 
of ever seeing her again. 

While Sacajawea was renewing among the wo- 
men the friendships of former days, Capt. Clarke 



118 OREGON. 

went on, and was received by Capt. Lewis and the 
chief, who, after the first embraces and salutations, 
conducted him to a sort of circular tent constructed 
of willow-branches. Here he was seated on a white 
robe ; and the chief tied in his hair six small shells 
resembling pearls, — an ornament highly valued by 
these people. After smoking, a conference was held, 
Sacajawea acting as interpreter. Capt. Lewis told 
them he had been sent to discover the best route 
by which merchandise could be conveyed to them, 
and, since no trade would be begun before our re- 
turn, it was naturally desirable that we should pro- 
ceed with as little delay as possible ; that we were 
under the necessity of requesting them to furnish us 
with horses to transport our baggage across the 
mountains, and a guide to show us the route ; but 
that they should be amply remunerated for their 
horses, as well as for any other service they should 
render us. In the mean time, our first wish was 
that they should immediately collect as many horses 
as were necessary to transport our baggage to their 
village, where, at our leisure, we would trade with 
them for as many horses as they could spare. 

The speech made a favorable impression. The 
chief thanked us for our friendly intentions, and 



THEY MEET THE BOAT PARTY. 119 

declared their willingness to render us every ser- 
vice. He promised to return to the village next 
day, and to bring all his own horses, and to encour- 
age his people to bring theirs. We then distributed 
our presents. To Cameahwait we gave a medal of 
the small size, with the likeness of President Jeffer- 
son, and on the reverse a figure of hands clasped, 
with a pipe and tomahawk. To this were added 
a uniform-coat, a shirt, a pair of scarlet leggings, a 
lump of tobacco, and some small articles. Each of 
the other chiefs received similar presents, excepting 
the dress-coat. These honorary gifts were followed 
by presents of paint, moccasons, awls, knives, beads, 
and looking-glasses. They had abundant sources of 
surprise in all they saw. The appearance of the 
men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes, the 
strange looks of the negro, and the sagacity of our 
dog, all in turn shared their admiration, which was 
raised to astonishment by a shot from the air-gun. 
This was immediately pronounced a Great Medicine, 
by which they mean something produced by the 
Great Spirit himself in some incomprehensible way. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE DESCENT OF THE COLUMBIA. 

A UGUST, 1805. — Our Indian information as to 
the navigation of the Columbia was of a very 
discouraging character. It was therefore agreed 
that Capt. Clarke should set off in the morning with 
eleven men, furnished, besides their arms, with tools 
for making canoes ; that he should take Chaboneau 
and his wife to the camp of the Shoshonees, where he 
was to leave them to hasten the collection of horses ; 
that he was then to lead his men down to the Colum- 
bia ; and if he found it navigable, and the timber in 
sufficient quantity, should begin to build canoes. As 
soon as he should have decided on the question of 
proceeding, whether down the river or across the 
mountains, he was to send back one of the men, with 
information of his decision, to Capt, Lewis, who would 
tarry meanwhile at the Shoshonee village. 

Aug. 20. — Capt. Clarke set out at six o'clock. 

120 



DESCENT OF THE COLUMBIA. 121 

Passing through a continuation of hilly, broken coun- 
try, he met several parties of Indians. An old man 
among them was pointed out, who was said to know 
more of the nature . of the country north than any 
other person ; and . Capt. Clarke engaged him as a 
guide. 

The first point to ascertain was the truth of the 
Indian information as to the difficulty of descending 
the river. For this purpose, Capt. Clarke and his 
men set out at three o'clock in the afternoon, accom- 
panied by his Indian guide. At the distance of four 
miles he crossed the river, and, eight miles from the 
camp, halted for the night. As Capt. Lewis was the 
first white man who had visited its waters, Capt. 
Clarke gave the stream the name of Lewis's River. 

Aug. 23. — Capt. Clarke set out very early ; but 
as his route lay along the steep side of a mountain, 
over irregular and broken masses of rocks, which 
wounded the horses' feet, he was obliged to proceed 
slowly. At the distance of four miles, he reached the 
river ; but the rocks here became so steep, and pro- 
jected so far into the stream, that there was no mode 
of passing except through the water. This he did for 
some distance, though the current was very rapid, 
and so deep, that they were forced to swim their 



122 OBEGON. 

horses. After following the edge of the stream for 
about a mile, he reached a small meadow, below which 
the whole current of the river beat against the shore 
on wliich he was, and which was formed of a solid 
rock, perfectly inaccessible to horses. He therefore 
resolved to leave the horses and the greater part of 
the men at this place, and continue his examination 
of the river on foot, in order to determine if there 
were any possibility of descending it in canoes. 

With his guide and three men he proceeded, 
clambering over immense rocks, and along the sides 
of precipices which bordered the stream. The river 
presented a succession of shoals, neither of which 
could be passed with loaded canoes ; and the bag- 
gage must therefore be transported for considerable 
distances over the steep mountains, where it would 
be impossible to employ horses. Even the empty 
boats must be let down the rapids by means of cords, 
and not even in this way without great risk both to 
the canoes and the men. 

Disappointed in finding a route by way of the 
river, Capt. Clarke now questioned his guide more 
particularly respecting an Indian road which came in 
fiom the north. The guide, who seemed intelligent, 
drew a map on tlie sand, and represented this road as 



DESCENT OF THE COLUMBIA. 123 

leading to a great river where resided a nation called 
Tushepaws, who, having no salmon on their river, 
came bj this road to the fish-wears on Lewis's River. 
After a great deal of conversation, or rather signs, 
Capt. Clarke felt persuaded that his guide knew of a 
road from the Shoshonee village they had left, to tlie 
great river toward the north, without coming so low 
down as this, on a road impracticable for horses. He 
therefore hastened to return thither, sending for- 
ward a man on horseback with a note to Capt. Lewis, 
apprising him of the result of his inquiries. 

From the 25th to the 29th of August, Capt. Clarke 
and his men were occupied in their return to the 
Shoshonee village, where Capt. Lewis and party were 
awaiting them. During their march, the want of pro- 
visions was such, that if it had not been for the liber- 
ality of the Indians, who gave them a share of their 
own scanty supplies, they must have perished. The 
main dependence for food was upon salmon and ber- 
ries. 'It was seldom they could get enough of these 
for a full meal ; and abstinence and the strange diet 
caused some sickness. Capt. Lewis, on the contrary, 
had found the game suflSciently abundant to supply 
their own party, and to spare some to the Indians ; 
so that, when their friends rejoined them, they had it 
in their power to immediately relieve their wants. 



124 OREGON. 

THE SHOSHONEES. 

The Shoshonees are a small tribe of the nation 
called Snake Indians, — a vague denomination, which 
embraces at once the inhabitants of the southern 
parts of the Rocky Mountains, and of the plains on 
each side. The Shoshonees, with whom we now are, 
amount to about a hundred warriors, and three times 
that number of women and children. Within their 
own recollection, they formerly lived in the plains ; 
but they have been driven into the mountains by the 
roving Indians of the Saskatchawan country, and are 
now obliged to visit only occasionally and by stealth 
the country of their ancestors. From the middle of 
May to the beginning of September, they reside on 
the waters of the Columbia. During this time, they 
subsist chiefly on salmon ; and, as that fish disappears 
on the approach of autumn, they are obliged to seek 
subsistence elsewhere. They then cross the ridge to 
the waters of the Missouri, down which they proceed 
cautiously till they are joined by other bands of their 
own nation, or of the Flatheads, with whom they asso- 
ciate against the common enemy. Being now strong 
in numbers, they venture to hunt buffaloes in the 
plains eastward of the mountains, near which they 



THE SIIOSHONEES. 125 

spend the winter, till the return of the salmon invites 
them to the Columbia. 

In this loose and wandering existence, they suffer 
the extremes of want : for two-thirds of the year they 
are forced to live in the mountains, passing whole 
weeks without meat, and with nothing to eat but a 
few fish and roots. 

Yet the Shoshonees are not only cheerful, but gay; 
and their character is more interesting than that of 
any other Indians we have seen. They are frank and 
communicative ; fair in their dealings ; and we have 
had no reason to suspect that the display of our new 
and valuable wealth has tempted them into a single 
act of theft. While they have shared with us the 
little they possess, they have always abstained from 
begging any thing of us. 

Their wealth is in horses. Of these they have at 
least seven hundred, among which are about forty 
colts, and half that number of mules. The original 
stock was procured from the Spaniards; but now they 
raise their own, which are generally of good size, vig- 
orous, and patient of fatigue as well as of hunger. 
Every warrior has one or two tied to a stake near his 
hut day and night, so as to be always prepared for 
action. The mules are obtained in the course of 



11^6 OBEGON. 

trade from the Spaniards of California They are 
highly valued. The worst are considered as worth 
the price of two horses. 

The Shoshonee warrior always fights on horseback. 
He possesses a few bad guns, which are reserved for 
war ; but his common arms are the bow and arrow, 
a shield, a lance, and a weapon called 2^(^9(^^00071, 
wdiich consists of a handle of wood, with a stone 
weighing about two pounds, and held in a cover of 
leather, aUached to the handle by a leather thong. 
At the other end is a loop, which is passed round the 
wrist, so as to secure the hold of the instrument, with 
which they strike a very severe blow. 

The bow is made of cedar or pine, covered on the 
outer side Avith sinews and glue. Sometimes it is 
made of the horn of an elk, covered on the back like 
those of wood. The arrows are more slender than 
those of other Indians we have seen. They are kept, 
with the implements for striking fire, in a narrow 
quiver formed of different kinds of skin. It is just 
long enough to protect the arrows from the weather, 
and is fastened upon the back of the wearer by means 
of a strap passing over the right shoulder, and under 
the left arm. The shield is a circular piece of buf- 
falo-skin, about two feet four inches in diameter, 



THE SIIOSIIONEES. 127 

ornamented with feathers, with a fringe round it of 
dressed leather, and adorned with paintings of strange 
figures. 

Besides these, they have a kind of armor, some- 
thing like a coat of mail, which is formed by a great 
many folds of antelope-skins, united by a mixture of 
glue and sand. With this they cover their own bodies 
and those of their horses, and find it impervious to 
the arrow. 

The caparison of their horses is a halter and sad- 
dle. The halter is made of strands of buffalo-hair 
platted together; or is merely, a thong of rawhide, 
made pliant by pounding and rubbing. The halter is 
very long, and is never taken from the neck of the 
horse when in constant use. One end of it is first 
tied round the neck in a knot, and then brought 
down to the under-jaw, round which it is formed into 
a simple noose, passing through the mouth. It is 
then drawn up on the right side, and held by the 
rider in his left hand, while the rest trails after him 
to some distance. With these cords dangling along- 
side of them, the horse is put to his full speed, with- 
out fear of falling; and, when he is turned tu graze, 
the noose is merely taken from his mouth. 

The saddle is formed, like the pack-saddles used by 



128 OliEGOX. 

the French and Spaniards, of two flat, thin boards, 
which fit the sides of the horse, and are kept together 
by two cross-pieces, one before and the other behind, 
which rise to a considerable height, making the sad- 
dle deep and narrow. Under this, a piece of bufifalo- 
skin, with the hair on, is placed, so as to prevent the 
rubbing of the board ; and, when the rider mounts, 
he throws a piece of skin or robe over the saddle, 
which has no permanent cover. When stirrups are 
used, they consist of wood covered with leather ; but 
stirrups and saddles are .conveniences reserved for 
women and old men. , The young warriors rarely use 
any thing except a small, leather pad stuffed with 
hair, and secured by a girth made of a leathern thong. 
In this way, they ride with great expertness ; and 
they have particular dexterity in catching the horse 
when he is running at large. They make a noose in 
the rope, and although the horse may be at some dis- 
tance, or even running, rarely fail to fix it on his neck; 
and such is the docility of the animal, that, however 
unruly he may seem, he surrenders as soon as he feels 
the rope on him. 

The horse becomes an object of attachment. A 
favorite is frequently painted, and his ears cut into 
various shapes. The mane and tail, which are never 



INDIAN HORSES AND RIDERS. 129 

drawn nor trimmed, are decorated with feathers of 
birds ; and sometimes a warrior suspends at the 
breast of his horse the finest ornaments he possesses. 
Thus armed and mounted, the Shoshonee is a for- 
midable enemy, even with the feeble weapons which 
he is still obliged to use. When they attack at full 
speed, they bend forward, and cover their bodies with 
the shield, while with the right hand they shoot under 
the horse's neck. 

INDIAN HOESES AND RIDEES. 

They are so well supplied with horses, that every 
man, woman, and child is mounted ; and all they have 
is packed upon horses. Small children, not more than 
three years old, are mounted alone, and generally 
upon colts. They are tied upon the saddle to keep 
them from falling, especially when they go to sleep, 
which they often do when they become fatigued. 
Then they lie down upon the horse's shoulders ; and, 
when they awake, they lay hold of their whip, which 
is fastened to the wrist of their right hand, and apply 
it smartly to their horses : and it is astonishing to see 
how these little creatures will guide and run them. 
Children that are still younger are put into an in- 
casement made with a board at the back, and a wick- 

9 



130 OREGON. 

er-work around the other parts, covered with cloth 
inside and without, or, more generally, with dressed 
skins ; and they are carried upon the mother's back, 
or suspended from a high knob upon the fore part of 
their saddles. 



CHAPTER XI. 



CLARKE'S RIVER. 



A UG. 31. — Capt. Lewis, during the absence of 
his brotlier-officer, had succeeded in procuring 
from the Indians, by barter, twenty-nine horses, — not 
quite one for each man. Capt. Clarke having now 
rejoined us, and the weather being fine, we loaded 
our hoi'ses, and prepared to start. We took our leave 
of the Shoshonees, and accompanied by the old guide, 
his four sons, and another Indian, began the descent 
of the river, which Capt. Clarke had named Lewis's 
River. After riding twelve miles, we encamped on 
the bank ; and, as the hunters -had brought in three 
deer early in the morning, we did not feel in want of ■ 
provisions. 

On the 31st of August, we made eighteen miles. 
Here we left the track of Capt. Clarke, and began to 
explore the new route recommended by the Indian 

131 



132 OREGON. 

guide, and which was our last hope of getting out of 
the mountains. 

During all day, we rode over hills, from which are 
many drains and small streams, and, at the distance 
of eighteen miles, came to a largo creek, called Fish 
Creek, emptying into the main river, which is about 
six miles from us. 

Sept. 2. — This morning, all the Indians left us, ex- 
cept the old guide, who now conducted us up Fish 
Creek. We arrived shortly after at the forks of the 
creek. The road we were ibllowing now turned in a 
contrary direction to our course, and we were left 
without any track ; but, as no time was to be lost, Ave 
began to cut our road up the west brancii of the 
creek. This we effected with much difficulty. The 
thickets of trees and brush through which we were 
obliged to cut our way required great labor. Our 
course was over the steep and rocky sides of the 
liills, where the horses could not move without dan- 
ger of slipping down, while their feet were bruised 
by the rocks, and stumps of trees. Accustomed as 
these animals were to this kind of life, they suffered 
severely. Several of them fell to some distance down 
the sides of the hills, some turned over with the bag- 
gage, one was crippled, and two gave out exhausted 



CLARKE'S RIVER. 133 

with fatigue. After crossing the creek several times, 
we had made five miles with great labor, and en- 
camped in a small, stony, low ground. It was not, 
however, till after dark that the whole party was col- 
lected ; and then, as it rained, and we killed nothing, 
we passed an uncomfortable night. We had been too 
busily occupied with the horses to make any hunting 
excursion ; and, though we saw many beaver-dams in 
the creek, we saw none of the animals. 

Next day, our experiences were much the same, 
with the addition of a fall of snow at evening. The 
day following, we readied the head of a stream which 
directed its course more to the westward, and fol- 
lowed it till we discovered a large encampment of 
Indians. When we reached them, and alighted from 
our horses, we were received with great cordiahty. 
A council was immediately assembled, white robes 
were thrown over our shoulders, and the pipe of 
peace introduced. After this ceremony, as it was too 
late to go any farther, we encamped, and continued 
smoking and conversing witli the chiefs till a late 
hour. 

Next morning, we assembled the chiefs and war- 
riors, and informed them who we were, and the pur- 
pose for which we visited their country. All this 



134 OliEGON. 

was, however, convoyed to them in so many different 
languages, that it was not comprehended Avithout diffi- 
culty. We therefore proceeded to the more intelli- 
gible language of presents, and made four chiefs by 
giving a medal and a small quantity of tobacco to 
each. We received in turn, from the principal chiefs, 
a present, consisting of the skins of an otter and two 
antelopes ; and were treated by the women to some 
dried roots and berries. Wo then began to traffic for 
horses, and succeeded in exchanging seven, and pur- 
chasing eleven. 

These Indians are a band of the Tushepaws, a 
numerous people of four hundred and fifty tents, re- 
siding on the head waters of the Missouri and Colum- 
bia Rivers, and some of them lower down the latter 
river. They seemed kind and friendly, and willingly 
shared with us berries and roots, which formed tlieir. 
only stock of provisions. Their only wealth is their 
horses, whicli are very fine, and so numerous that this 
band had with them at least five hundred. 

We proceeded next day, and, taking a north-west 
direction, crossed, within a distance of a mile and a 
half, a small river from the right. This river is the 
main stream ; and, when it reaches the end of the val- 
ley, it is joined b}' two other streams. To the river 



CLARKE'S niVER. 136 

thus formed we gave the name of Clarke's River, he 
being the first white man who ever visited its 
waters. 

We followed the course of the river, which is from 
twenty-five to thirty yards wide, shallow, and stony, 
with the low grounds on its borders narrow; and en- 
camped on its right bank, after making ten miles. 
Our stock of flour was now exhausted, and we had 
but little corn ; and, as our hunters had killed nothing 
except two pheasants, our supper consisted chiefi}'' of 
berries. 

The next day, and the next, wo followed the river, 
which widened to fifty yards, with a valley four or five 
miles broad. At ten miles from our camp was a creek, 
which emptied itself on the west side of the river. 
It was a fine bold creek of clear water, about twenty 
yards wide ; and we called it Traveller's Rest : for, as 
our guide told us we should here leave the river, we 
determined to make some stay for the purpose of col- 
lecting food, as the country through which we were 
to pass has no game for a great distance. 

Toward evening, one of the hunters returned with 
three Indians whom he had met. We found that 
they wore Tushepaw Flatheads in pursuit of strayed 
horses. We gave them some boiled venison and a 



136 OREGON. 

few presents, such as a fish hook, a steel to strike fire, 
and a little powder ; but they seemed better pleased 
with a piece of ribbon whrdi we tied in the hair of 
each of them. Their people, they said, were numer- 
ous, and resided on the great river in the plain below 
the mountains. From that place, they added, the 
river was navigable to the ocean. The distance from 
this place is five " sleeps," or days' journeys. 

On resuming our route, we proceeded up the right 
side of the creek (thus leaving Clarke's River), over 
a country, which, at first plain and good, became after- 
wards as difficult as any we had yet traversed. 

We had now reached the sources of Traveller's-rest 
Creek, and followed the road, which became less rug- 
ged. At our encampment this night, the game hav- 
ing entirely failed us, we killed a colt, on which we 
made a hearty supper. We reached the river, which 
is here eighty yards wide, with a swift current and 
a rocky channel. Its Indian name is Kooskooskee. 

KOOSKOOSKEE RIVER. 

Sept. IG. — This morning, snow fell, and continued 
all day ; so that by evening it was six or eight inches 
deep. It covered the track so completely, that we 
were obliged constantly to halt and examine, lest we 



KOOSKOOSKEE RIVEE. 137 

should lose the route. The road is, like that of yester- 
day, along steep hillsides, obstructed with fallen tim- 
ber, and a growth of eight different species of pine, so 
thickly strewed, that the snow falls from them upon 
us as we pass, keeping us continually wet to the skin. 
We encamped in a piece of low ground, thickly tim- 
bered, but scarcely large enough fo permit us to lie 
level. We had made thirteen miles. We were wet, 
cold, and hungry ; yet we could not procure any game, 
and were obliged to kill another horse for our sup- 
per. This want of provisions, the extreme fatigue to 
which we were subjected, and the dreary prospect 
before us, began to dispirit the men. They are grow- 
ing weak, and losing their flesh very fast. 

After three days more of the same kind of expe- 
rience, on Frida}^, 20th September, an agreeable 
change occurred. Capt. Clarke, who had gone for- 
ward in hopes of finding game, came suddenly upon 
a beautiful open plain partially stocked with pine. 
Shortly after, he discovered three Indian boys, who, 
observing the party, ran off, and hid themselves in the 
grass. Capt. Clarke immediately alighted, and, giv- 
ing his horse and gun to one of the men, went after 
the boys. He soon relieved tlieir apprehensions, and 
sent them forward to the village, about a mile off, 



138 OREGON. 

with presents of small pieces of ribbon. Soon after 
the boys had reached home, a man came out to meet 
the party, with great caution ; but he conducted them 
to a large tent in tlie village, and all the inhabitants 
gathered round to view with a mixture of fear and 
pleasure the wonderful strangers. The conductor 
now informed Capt. Clarke, by signs, that the spa- 
cious tent was the residence of the great chief, who 
had set out three days ago, with all the warriors, to 
attack some of their enemies towards the south-west ; 
that, in the mean time, there were only a few men left 
to guard the women and children. Thej' now set be- 
fore them a small piece of buffalo-meat, some dried 
salmon, berries, and several kinds of roots. Among 
these last was one which is round, much like an onion 
in appearance, and sweet to the taste. It is called 
quamash, and is eaten either in its natural state, or 
boiled into a kind of soup, or made into a cake, which 
is called pasheco. After our long abstinence, this was 
a sumptuous repast. We returned the kindness of 
the people with a few small presents, and then went 
on, in company with one of the chiefs, to a second vil- 
lage in the same plain, at a distance of two miles. 
Here the party was treated with great kindness, and 
passed the night. 



KOOSKOOSKEE RIVER. 139 

The two villages consist of about thirty double 
tents ; and the people call themselves Chopunnish, or 
Pierced-nose. The chief drew a chart of the river 
on the sand, and explained that a greater chief than 
himself, who governed this village, and was called 
the Twisted-hair, was now fishing at the distance of 
half a day's ride down the river. His chart made the 
Kooskooskee to fork a little below his camp, below 
which the river passed the mountains. Here was a 
great fall of water, near which lived white people, 
from whom they procured the white beads and brass 
ornaments worn by the women. 

Capt. Clarke engaged an Indian to guide him to the 
Twisted-hair's camp. For twelve miles, they pro- 
ceeded through the plain before they reached the 
river-hills, which are very high and steep. The 
whole valley from these hills to the Rocky Mountains 
is a beautiful level country, with a rich soil covered 
with grass. There is, however, but little timber, and 
the ground is badly watered. The plain is so much 
sheltered by the surrounding hills, that the weather 
is quite warm (Sept. 21), while the cold of the moun- 
tains was extreme. 

From the top of the river-hills we descended for 
three miles till we reached the water-side, between 



140 OREGON. 

eleven and twelve o'clock at night. Here we found 
a small camp of five women and three children; the 
chief himself being encamped, with two others, on a 
small island in the river. The guide called to him, 
and he came over. Capt. Clarke gave him a medal, 
and they smoked together till one o'clock. 

Next day, Capt. Clarke passed over to the island 
with the Twisted-hair, who seemed to be cheerful and 
sincere. The hunters brought in three deer ; after 
which Capt. Clarke left his party, and, accompanied 
by the Twisted-hair and his son, rode back to the vil- 
lage, where he found Capt. Lewis and his party just 
arrived. 

The plains were now crowded with Indians, who 
came to see the white men and the strange things 
they brought with them ; but, as our guide was a per- 
fect stranger to their language, we could converse by 
signs only. Our inquiries were chiefly directed to 
the situation of the country. Tlie Twisted-hair drew 
a chart of the river on a white elk-skin. According 
to this, the Kooskooskee forks a few miles from 
this place : two days' journey towards the south is 
another and larger fork, on v/hicli the Shoshonee 
Indians fish; five days' journey farther is a large 
river from the north-west, into which Clarke's River 



K008K00SREE RIVER. 141 

empties itself. From the junction with that river to 
the falls is five days' journey farther. On all the 
forks, as well as on the main river, great numbers of 
Indians reside ; and at the falls are establishments of 
whites. This was the story of the Twisted-hair. 

Provision here was abundant. We purchased a 
quantity of fish, berries, and roots ; and in the after- 
noon went on to the second village. We continued 
our purchases, and obtained as much provision as our 
horses could carry in their present weak condition. 
Great crowds of the natives are round us all night ; 
but we have not yet missed any thing, except a knife 
and a few other small articles. 

Sept. 24. — The weather is fiiir. All round the vil- 
lage the women are busily employed in gathering and 
dressing the pasheco-root, large quantities of which 
are heaped up in piles all over the plain. 

We feel severely the consequence of eating heartily 
after our late privations. Capt. Lewis and two of his 
men were taken very ill last evening, and to-day he 
can hardly sit on his horse. Others could not mount 
without help ; and some were forced to lie down by 
the side of the road for some time. 

Our situation rendered it necessary' to husband our 
remaining strength ; and it was determined to proceed 



142 OREGON. 

down the river in canoes, Capt. Clarke therefore set 
out with Twisted-hair and two young men in quest 
of timber for canoes. 

Sept, 27, 28, and 29, — Sickness continued. Few 
of the men were able to work ; yet preparations were 
made for making five canoes, A number of Indians 
collect about us in the course of the day to gaze at 
the strange appearance of every thing belonging to 
us. 

Oct, 4, — The men were now much better, and 
Capt, Lewis so far recovered as to walk about a little. 
The canoes being nearly finished, it became neces- 
sary to dispose of the horses. They were therefore 
collected to the number of thirty-eight, and, being 
branded and marked, were delivered to three In- 
dians, — the two brothers and the son of a chief; 
the chief having promised to accompany us down the 
river. To each of these men we gave a knife and 
some small articles ; and they agreed to take good 
care of the horses till our return. 

Wo had all our saddles buried in a caclie near the 
river, about half a mile below, and deposited at 
the same time a canister of powder and a bag of 
balls. 



VOYAGE DOWN THE KOOSKOOSKEE RIVER. 143 
THE VOYAGE DOWN THE KOOSKOOSKEE RIVER. 

Oct. 7. — This morning, all the canoes were put in 
the water, and loaded, the oars fitted, and every pre- 
paration made for setting out. When we were all 
ready, the chief who had promised to accompany us 
was not to be found : we therefore proceeded without 
him. The Kooskooskee is a clear, rapid stream, with 
a number of shoals and difficult places. This day 
and the next, we made a distance of fifty miles. We 
passed several encampments of Indians on the is- 
lands and near the rapids, which situations are chosen 
as the most convenient for taking salmon. At one of 
these camps we found the chief, who, after promising 
to descend the river with us, had left us. He, how- 
ever, willingly came on board, after we had gone 
through the ceremony of smoking. 

Oct. 10. — A fine morning. We loaded the canoes, 
and set off at seven o'clock. After passing twenty 
miles, we landed below the junction of a large fork 
of the river, from the south. Our arrival soon at- 
tracted the attention of the Indians, who flocked from 
all directions to see us. Being again reduced to fish 
and roots, we made an experiment to vary our food 
by purchasing a few dogs ; and, after having been 



144 OREGON. 

accustomed to horse-flesh, felt no disrelish to this new 
dish. The Chopunnish have great numbers of dogs, 
but never use them for food ; and our feeding on the 
flesh of that animal brought us into ridicule as dog- 
eaters. 

This southern branch is, in fact, the main stream of 
Lewis's River, on whose upper waters we encamped 
when among the Shoshonees. At its mouth, Lewis's 
River is about two hundred and fifty yards wide, and 
its water is of a greenish-blue color. The Kooskoos- 
kee, whose waters are clear as crystal, is one hundred 
and fifty yards in width ; and, after the union, the 
joint-stream extends to the width of three hundred 
yards. 

The Chopunnish, or Pierced-nose Indians, who re- 
side on the Kooskooskee and Lewis's Rivers, are in 
person stout, portly, well-looking men. The women 
are small, with good features, and generally hand- 
some, though the complexion of both sexes is darker 
than that of the Tushepaws. In dress, they resemble 
that nation, being fond of displaying their ornaments. 
The buffalo or elk-skin robe, decorated with beads, 
sea-shells (chiefly mother-of-pearl), attached to an 
otter-skin collar, is the dress of the men. The same 
ornaments are hung in the hair, which falls in front 



VOYAGE DOWN THE KOOSKOOSKEE RIVER. 145 

in two cues : they add feathers, paints of different 
colors (principally white, green, and blue), which 
they find in their own countr3\ In winter, they 
wear a shirt of dressed skins ; long, painted leg- 
gings, and moccasons ; and a plait of twisted grass 
round the neck. 

The dress of the women is more simple, consisting 
of a long shirt of the mountain-sheep skin, reach- 
ing down to the ankles, without a girdle. To this are 
tied little pieces of brass and shells, and other small 
articles ; but tliG head is not at all ornamented. 

The Chopunnish have few amusements ; for their 
life is painful and laborious, and all their exertions 
are necessary to earn a precarious subsistence. Dur- 
ing the summer and autumn, they are busily occupied 
in fishing for salmon, and collecting their winter store 
of roots. In winter, they hunt the deer on snow- 
shoes over the plains ; and, towards spring, cross the 
mountains to the Missouri in pursuit of the buffalo. 

The soil of these prairies is a light-yellow clay. 
It is barren, and produces little more than a bearded 
grass about three inches high, and the prickly-pear, 
of which we found three species. The first is the 
broad-leaved kind, common to this river with the Mis- 
souri ; the second has a leaf of a globular form, and is 

10 



146 OBEGON. 

also frequent on the upper part of the Missouri ; the 
third is pecuhar to this country. It consists of small, 
thick leaves of a circular form, which grow from the 
margin of each other. These leaves are armed with a 
great number of thorns, which are strong, and appear 
to be barbed. As the leaf itself is very slightly at- 
tached to the stem, as soon as one thorn touches the 
moccason, it adheres, and brings with it the leaf, which 
is-accompanied with a re-enforcement of thorns. This 
species was a greater annoyance on our march than 
either of the others. 



CHAPTER XII. 

FROM THE JUNCTION OF THE KOOSKOOSKEE WITH LEWIS'S 
RIVER TO THE COLUMBIA. 

1,1 ROM the mouth of the Kooskooskee to that of 
the Lewis is about a hundred miles ; which dis- 
tance they descended in seven days. The navigation 
was greatly impeded by rapids, which they passed 
with more or less danger and difficulty; being greatly 
indebted to the assistance of the Indians, as they 
thankfully acknowledge. Sometimes they were obliged 
to unload their boats, and to carry them round by land. 
All these rapids are fishing-places, greatly resorted to 
in the season. 

On the 17th of October (1805), having reached the 
junction of Lewis's River with the Columbia, they 
found by observation that they were in latitude 46° 
15', and longitude 119°. They measured the two 
rivers by angles, and found, that, at the junction, 
the Columbia is 960 yards wide ; and Lewis's River, 

147 



148 OREGON. 

575 : but, below their junction, the joint river is from 
one to three miles in width, including the islands. 
From the point of junction, the country is a continued 
plain, rising gradually from the water. There is 
through this plain no tree, and scarcely any shrub, 
except a few willow-bushes ; and, even of smaller 
plants, there is not much besides the prickly-pear, 
which is abundant. 

In the course of the day, Capt. Clarke, in a small 
canoe, with two men, ascended the Columbia. At the 
distance of five miles, he came to a small but not dan- 
gerous rapid. On the bank of the river opposite to 
this is a fishing-place, consisting of three neat houses. 
Here were great quantities of salmon drying on scaf- 
folds ; and, from the mouth of the river upwards, he 
saw immense numbers of dead salmon strewed along 
the shore, or floating on the water. 

The Indians, who had collected on the banks to 
view him, now joined him in eighteen canoes, and 
accompanied him up the river. A mile above the 
rapids, he observed three houses of mats, and landed 
to visit them. On entering one of the houses, he 
found it crowded with men, women, and children, 
who immediately provided a mat for him to sit on ; and 
one of the party undertook to prepare something to 



JUNCTION OF THE RIVERS. 149 

eat. He began by bringing in a piece of pine-wood 
that had drifted down the river, which he spKt into 
small pieces with a wedge made of the elk's horn, 
by means of a mallet of stone curiously carved. The 
pieces were then laid on the fire, and several round 
stones placed upon them. One of the squaws now 
brought a bucket of water, in which was a large 
salmon about half dried; and, as the stones became 
heated, they were put into the bucket till the salmon 
was sufficiently boiled. It was then taken out, put 
on a platter of rushes neatly made, and laid before 
Capt. Clarke. Another was boiled for each of his 
men. Capt. Clarke found the fish excellent. 

At another island, four miles distant, the inhabit- 
ants were occupied in splitting and drying salmon. 
The multitudes of this fish are almost inconceivable. 
The water is so clear, that they can readily be seen at 
the depth of fifteen or twenty feet ; but at this sea- 
son they float in such quantities down the stream, 
and are drifted ashore, that the Indians have nothing 
to do but collect, split, and dry them. The Indians 
assured him by signs that they often used dry fish as 
fuel for the common occasions of cooking. The even- 
ing coming on, he returned to camp. 

Capt. Clarke, in the course of his excursion, shot 



150 OREGON. 

several grouse and ducks ; also a prairie-cock, — a 
bird of the pheasant kind, about the size of a small 
turkey. It measured, from the beak to the end of 
the toe, two feet six inches ; from the extremity of the 
wings, three feet six inches ; and the feathers of the 
tail were thirteen inches long. This bird we have 
seen nowhere except upon this river. Its chief 
food is the grasshopper, and the seeds of wild plants 
peculiar to this river and the Upper Missouri. 

ADVENTURE OF CAPT. CLARKE. 

Oct. 19. — Having resumed ^their descent of the 
Columbia, they came to a very dangerous rapid. In 
order to lighten the boats, Capt. Clarke landed, and 
walked to the foot of the rapid. Arriving there be- 
fore either of the boats, except a canoe, he sat down 
on a rock to wait for them ; and, seeing a crane fly 
across the river, shot it, and it fell near him. Several 
Indians had been, before this, passing on the opposite 
side ; and some of them, alarmed at his appearance 
or the report of the gun, fled to their houses. Capt. 
Clarke was afraid that these people might not have 
heard that Avhite men were coming: therefore, in 
order to allay their uneasiness before the whole 
party should arrive, he got into the canoe with three 



ADVENTURE OF CAPT. CLARKE. 151 

men, and rowed over towards the houses, and, while 
crossing, shot a duck, which fell into the water. As 
he approached, no person was to be seen, except 
three men ; and they also fled as he came near the 
shore. He landed before five houses close to each 
other ; but no person appeared : and the doors, which 
were of mat, were closed. He went towards one of 
them with a pipe in his hand, and, pushing aside the 
mat, entered the lodge, where he found thirty-two 
persons, men and women, with a feAv children, all in 
the greatest consternation ; some hanging down their 
heads ; others crying, and wringing their hands. He 
went up to them all, and shook hands with them 
in the most friendly manner. Their apprehensions 
gradually subsided, but revived on his taking out a 
burning-glass (there being no roof to the lodge), and 
lighting his pipe. Havicg at length restored some 
confidence by the gift of some small presents, he vis- 
ited some other houses, where he found the inhab- 
itants similarly affected. Confidence was not com- 
pletely attained until the boats arrived, and then the 
two chiefs who accompanied the party explained 
the friendly intentions of the expedition. The sight 
of Chaboneau's wife also dissipated any remaining 
doubts, as it is not the practice among the Indians to 
allow women to accompany a war-party. 



152 OREGON. 

To account for their fears, they told the two chiefs 
that they had seen the white men fall from the sky. 
Having heard the report of Capt. Clarke's rifle, and 
seen the birds fall, and not having seen him till after 
the shot, they fancied that he had himself dropped 
from the clouds. 

This belief was strengthened, when, on entering the 
lodge, he brought down fire from heaven by means of 
his burning-glass. We soon convinced them that we 
were only mortals ; and, after one of our chiefs had 
explained our history and objects, we all smoked 
together in great harmony. 

Our encampment that night was on the river-bank 
opposite an island, on which were twenty-four houses 
of Indians, all of whom were engaged in drying fish. 
We had scarcely lauded when about a hundred of 
them came over to visit us, bringing with them a 
present of some wood, which was very acceptable. 
We received them in as kind a manner as we could, 
smoked with them, and gave the principal chief a 
string of wampum ; but the highest satisfaction they 
enjoyed was in the music of our two violins, with 
which they seemed much delighted. They remained 
all night at our fires. 



AN INDIA X BURYING-PLACE. 153 

AN INDIAN BURYING-PLACE. 

We walked to the head of the island for the pur- 
pose of examining a vault, or burying-place, which 
we had remarked in coming along. The place in 
Avhich the dead are deposited is a building about 
sixty feet long and twelve feet wide, formed by 
placing in the ground poles, or forks, six feet high, 
across which a long pole is extended the whole 
length of the structure. Against this ridge-pole are 
placed broad boards, and pieces of wood, in a slant- 
ing direction, so as to form a shed. The structure 
stands east and west, open at both ends. On entering 
the western end, we observed a number of bodies 
wrapped carefully in leather robes, and arranged in 
rows on boards, which were then covered with a mat. 
This part of the building was destined for those who 
had recently died. A little farther on, limbs, half 
decayed, were scattered about ; and in the centre of 
the building was a large pile of them heaped promis- 
cuously. At the eastern extremity was a mat, on 
which twenty-one skulls were arranged in a circular 
form : the mode of interment being first to wrap the 
body in robes ; and, as it decays, the bones are thrown 
into the heap, and the skulls placed together in order. 



154 OBEGON. 

From the different boards and pieces of wood which 
form the vault were suspended on the inside fishing- 
nets, baskets, wooden bowls, robes, skins, trenchers, 
and trinkets of vai'ious kinds, intended as offerings 
of affection to deceased relatives. On the outside of 
the vault were the skeletons of several horses, and 
great quantities of bones in the neighborhood, which 
induced, us to believe that these animals were sacri- 
ficed at the funeral-rites of their masters. 

In other parts of the route, the travellers found a 
different species of cemetery. The dead were placed 
in canoes, and these canoes were raised above the 
ground by a scaffolding of poles. The motive was 
supposed to be to protect them from wild beasts. 

PALLS OF THE COLUMBIA. 

About a hundred and fifty miles below the junction 
of Lewis's River, we reached the Great Falls. At the 
commencement of the pitch, which includes the falls, 
we landed, and walked down to examine them, and 
ascertain on which side we could make a portage 
most easily. From the lower end of the island, where 
the rapids begin, to the perpendicular fall, is about 
two miles. Here the river contracts, when the water 
is low, to a very narrow space ; and, with only a short 



FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA. 155 

distance of swift water, it makes its plunge twenty 
feet perpendicularly ; after which it rushes on. among 
volcanic rocks, through a channel four miles in length, 
and then spreads out into a gentle, broad current. 

We will interrupt the narrative here to introduce 
from later travellers some pictures of the remarkable 
region to which our explorers had now arrived. It 
was not to be expected that Capts. Lewis and Clarke 
should have taxed themselves, in their anxious and 
troubled march, to describe natural wonders, however 
striking. 

Lieut. Fremont thus describes this remarkable 
spot : — 

The Dalles. — "In a few miles we descended to the river, 
which we reached at one of its highly interesting features, known 
as the Dalles of the Columl)ia. The whole volume of the river 
at this place passes between the walls of a chasm, wliich has the 
appearance of having been rent through the basaltic strata which 
form the valley-rock of the region. At the narrowest place, we 
found the breadth, by measurement, fifty-eight yards, and the 
average height of the walls above the water twenty-five feet, 
forming a trough between the rocks ; whence the name, proba- 
bly applied by a Canadian voyageur." 

The same scene is described by Theodore Winthrop 
in his " Canoe and Saddle : " — 

" The Dalles of the Columbia, upon which I was now looking, 



150 OREGON. 

must 1)0 studied by the American Dante, whenever he comes, for 
imagery to construct his Purgatory, if not his Inferno. At 
Walla-waUa, two great rivers, Clarke's and Lewis's, drainers of 
the continent north and south, unite to form the Columbia. It 
flows furiously for a hundred and twenty miles westward. 
When it reaches the dreary region where the outlying ridges 
of the Cascade chain commence, it finds a great, low surface, 
paved with enormous polished sheets of basaltic rock. These 
plates, in French, dalles, give the spot its name. The great 
river, a mile wide not far above, finds but a narrow rift in this 
pavement for its passage. The rift gradually draws its sides 
closer, and, at the spot now called the Dalles, subdivides into 
three mere Slits in the sharp-edged rock. At the highest water, 
there are other minor channels ; but generally this continental 
flood is cribbed and compressed within its three chasms sud- 
denly opening in the level floor, each chasm hardly wider than 
a leap a hunted fiend might take." 

It is not easy to picture to one's self, from these 
descriptions, the peculiar scenery of the Dalles. Fre- 
mont understands the name as signifying a trough ; 
while Winthrop interprets it as ^3?a^es, or slohs, of 
rock. The following description by Lieut, (now Gen.) 
Henry L. Abbot, in his " Report of Explorations for 
a Railroad Route," &c., will show that the term, in 
each of its meanings, is applicable to diiferent parts 
of the channel : — 

"At the Dalles of the Columbia, the river rushes through a 



FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA. 157 

chasm only about two luiiKlred feet wide, with vertical, basaltic 
sides, rising from twenty to thirty feet above the water. Steep 
hills closely border the chasm, leaving in some places scarcely 
room on the terrace to pass on horseback. The water rushes 
through this basaltic trough with such violence, that it is always 
dangerous, and in some stages of the water impossible, for a boat 
to pass down. The contraction of the river-bed extends for 
about three miles. Near the lower end of it, the channel di- 
vides into several sluices, and then gradually becomes broader, 
until, where it makes a great bend to the south, it is over a 
quarter of a mile in width." 



After this interruption, the journal is resumed : — 

" We soon discovered that the nearest route was on 
the right side, and therefore dropped down to the 
head of the rapid, unloaded the canoes, and took all 
the baggage over by land to the foot of the rapid. 
The distance is twelve hundred yards, part of it over 
loose sands, disagreeable to pass. The labor of cross- 
ing was lightened by the Indians, who carried some 
of the heavy articles for us on their horses. Having 
ascertained the best mode of bringing down the ca- 
noes, the operation was conducted by Capt. Clarke, 
by hauling the canoes over a point of land four hun- 
dred and fifty-seven yards to the water. One mile 
farther down, we reached a pitch of the river, which, 



158 OREGON. 

being divided by two large rocks, descends with great 

rapidity over a fall eight feet in height. As the boats 

could not be navigated down this steep descent, we 

were obliged to laud, and let them down as gently as 

possible by strong ropes of elk-skin, which we had 

prepared for the purpose. They all passed in safety, 

except one, which, being loosed by the breaking of 

the ropes, was driven down, but was recovered by the 

Indians below." 

Our travellers had now reached what have since 

been called the Cascade Mountains ; and we must 

interrupt their narrative to give some notices of this 

remarkable scenery from later explorers. We quote 

from Abbot's Report : — 

" There is great similarity in the general topographical fea- 
tures of the whole Pacific slope. The Sierra Nevada in Cali- 
fornia, and the Cascade range in Oregon, form a continuous 
wall of mountains nearly parallel to the coast, and from one 
hundred to two hundred miles distant from it. The main crest 
of this range is rarely lelevatcd less than six thousand feet above 
the level of the sea, and many of its peaks tower into the region 
of eternal snow." 

Lieut. Abbot thus describes a view of these peaks 
and of the Columbia Kiver : — 

"At an elevation of five thousand feet above the sea, we 
stood upon the summit of the pass. For days we had been 



FALLS OF THE COLUMBIA. 159 

Struggling liliudly through dense forests ; but now the surround- 
ing country lay spread out before us for more than a hundred 
miles. The five grand snow-peuks, Mount St. Helens, Mount 
Ranier, Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount Jefferson, rose 
majestically above a rolling sea of dark fir-covered ridges, some 
of which the approaching winter had already begun to mark 
with white. On every side, as far as the eye could reach, ter- 
rific convulsions of Nature had recorded their fury ; and not 
even a thread of blue smoke from the camp-fire of a wandering 
savage disturbed the solitude of the scene." 

The Columbia River. — " The Columbia River forces its 
way through the Cascade range by a pass, which, for wild and 
sublime natural scenery, equals the celebrated passage of the 
Hudson through the Highlands. For a distance of about fifty 
miles, mountains covered with clinging spruces, firs, and pines, 
where not too precipitous to afford even these a foothold, rise 
abruptly from the water's edge to heights varying from one 
thousand to three thousand feet. Vertical precipices of colum- 
nar basalt are occasionally seen, rising from fifty to a hundred 
feet above the river level. In other places, the long mountain- 
walls of the river are divided by lateral canons (pronounced 
canyons), containing small tributaries, and occasionally little 
open spots of good land, liable to be overflowed at high water." 

Canons. — The plains east of the Cascade Moun- 
tains, through the whole extent of Oregon and Cali- 
fornia, are covered with a volcanic deposit composed 
of trap, basalt, and other rocks of the same class. 
This deposit is cleft by chasms often more than a 



160 OREGON. 

thousand feet deep, at the bottom of which there 
usually flows a stream of clear, cold water. This is 
sometimes the only water to be procured for the dis- 
tance of many miles ; and the traveller may be per- 
ishing with thirst while he sees far below him a 
sparkling stream, from which he is separated by pre- 
cipices of enormous height and perpendicular de- 
scent. To chasms of this nature the name of canons 
has been applied, borrowed from the Spaniards of 
Mexico. We quote Lieut. Abbot's description of the 
cauon of Des Chutes River, a tributary of the Co- 
lumbia : — 

" Sept. 30. — As it was highly desii'able to determine accu- 
rately the position and character of the canon of Des Chutes 
Eiver, I started this morning with one man to follow down the 
creek to its mouth, leaving the rest of the party in camp. Hav- 
ing yesterday experienced the inconveniences of travelling in 
the bottom of a eaiion, I concluded to try to-day the northern 
blutf. It was a dry, barren plain, gravelly, and sometimes 
sandy, with a few bunches of grass scattered here and there. 
Tracks of antelopes or deer were numerous. After crossing 
one small ravine, and riding about five miles from camp, we 
found ourselves on the edge of the vast cailon of the river, 
which, far below us, was rushing through a narrow trough of 
basalt, resembling the Dalles of the Columbia. We estimated 
the depth of the canon at a thousand feet. On each side, the 
precipices were very steep, and marked in many places by hori- 



INDIAN MODE OF PACKING SALMON. 161 

zontal lines of vertical, basaltic calumns, fifty or sixty feet in 
height. The man who was with me rolled a large rock, shaped 
like a grindstone, and weighing about two hundred pounds, 
from the summit. It thundered down for at least a quarter of a 
mUe, — now over a vertical precipice, now over a steep mass of 
detritus, until at length it plunged into the river with a hollow 
roar, which echoed and re-echoed through the gorge for miles. 
By ascending a slight hill, I obtained a fine view of the sur- 
rounding country. The generally level character of the great 
basaltic table-land around us was very manifest from this point. 
Bounded on the west by the Cascade Mountains, the plain 
extends far towards the south, — a sterile, treeless waste." 

The Cascades. — " About forty miles below the Dalles, all 
navigation is suspended by a series of rapids called the Cas- 
cades. The wild grandeur of this place surpasses description. 
The liver rushes furiously over a narrow bed filled with bowl- 
ders, and bordered by mountains which echo back the roar of 
the waters. The descent at the principal rapids is thirty-four 
feet ; and the total fall at the Cascades, sixty-one feet. Salmon 
pass up the river in great numbers ; and the Cascades, at cer- 
tain seasons of the year, are a favorite fishing resort with the 
Indians, who build slight stagings over the water's edge, and 
spear the fish, or catch them in rude dip-nets, as they slowly 
force their way up against the current." 

We now return to our travellers. 

INDIAN MODE OF PACKING SALMON. 

Near our camp are five large huts of Indians en- 
gaged in drying fish, and preparing it for market. 
11 



102 OREGON. 

The manner of doing this is by first opening the fish, 
and exposing it to the sun on scaffolds. When it is 
sufficiently dried, it is pounded between two stones 
till it is pulverized, and is then placed in a basket, 
about two feet long and one in diameter, neatly made 
of grass and rushes, and lined with the skin of the 
salmon, stretched and dried for the purpose. Here 
they are pressed down as hard as possible, and the 
top covered with skins of fish, which are secured by 
cords through the holes of the basket. These baskets 
are then placed in some dry situation, the corded part 
upwards ; seven being usually placed as close as they 
can be together, and five on the top of them. The 
whole is then wrapped up in mats, and made fast by 
cords. Twelve of these baskets, each of which con- 
tains from ninety to a hundred pounds, form a stack, 
which is now left exposed till it is sent to market. 
The fish thus preserved are kept sound and sweet for 
several years ; and great quantities of it, they inform 
us, are sent to the Indians who live lower down the 
river, whence it finds its way to the whites who visit 
the mouth of the Columbia. We observe, both near 
the lodges and on the rocks in the river, great num- 
bers of stacks of these pounded fish. 

Beside the salmon, there arc great quantities of 



INDIAN BOATMEN. 163 

salmon-trout, and another smaller species of trout, 
which they save in another way. A hole of any size 
being dug, the sides and bottom are lined with straw, 
over which skins are laid. On these the fish, after 
being well dried, is laid, covered with other skins, 
and the hole closed with a layer of earth, twelve or 
fifteen inches deep. These supplies are for their 
winter food. 

The stock of fish, dried and pounded, was so abun- 
dant, that Capt. Clarke counted one hundred and 
seven stacks of them, making more than ten thousand 
pounds. 

THE INDIAN BOATMEN. 

The canoes used by these people are built of white 
cedar or pine, very light, wide in the middle, and 
tapering towards the ends ; the bow being raised, 
and ornamented with carvings of the heads of ani- 
mals. As the canoe is the vehicle of transportation, 
the Indians have acquired great dexterity in the 
management of it, and guide it safely over the 
roughest waves. 

We had an opportunity to-day of seeing the bold- 
ness of the Indians. One of our men shot a goose, 
which fell into the river, and was floating rapidly 
towards the great shoot, when an Indian, observing 



164 OREGON. 

it, plunged in after it. The whole mass of the waters 
of the Columbia, just preparing to descend its narrow 
channel, carried the bird down with great rapidity. 
The Indian followed it fearlessly to within a hundred 
and fifty feet of the rocks, where, had he arrived, he 
would inevitably have been dashed to pieces ; but, 
seizing his prey, he turned round, and swam ashore 
with great composure. We very willingly relin- 
quished our right to the bird in favor of the Indian, 
who had thus secured it at the hazard of his life. 
He immediately set to work, and picked off about 
half the feathers, and then, without opening it, ran a 
stick through it, and carried it off to roast. 

INDIAN HOUSES. 

While the canoes were coming on, impeded by the 
difiiculties of the navigation, Capt. Clarke, with two 
men, walked down the river-shore, and came to a 
village belonging to a tribe called Echeloots. The vil- 
lage consisted of twenty-one houses, scattered pro- 
miscuously over an elevated position. The houses 
were nearly equal in size, and of similar construction. 
A large hole, twenty feet wide and thirty in length, 
is dug to the depth of six feet. The sides are lined 
with split pieces of timber in an erect position, rising 



INDIAN HOUSES. 1G5 

a short distance above the surface of the ground. 
These timbers are secured in their position by a 
pole, stretched along the side of the building, near 
the eaves, supported by a post at each corner. The 
timbers at the gable-ends rise higher, the middle 
pieces being the tallest. Supported by these, there 
is a ridge-pole running the whole length of the house, 
forming the top of the roof. From this ridge-pole to 
the eaves of the house are placed a number of small 
poles, or rafters, secured at each end by fibres of the 
cedar. On these poles is laid a covering of white 
cedar or arbor-vitae, kept on by strands of cedar-fibres. 
A small distance along the whole length of the ridge- 
pole is left uncovered for the admission of light, and 
to permit the smoke to escape. The entrance is by a 
small door at the gable-end, thirty inches high, and 
fourteen broad. Before this hole is hung a mat ; and 
on pushing it aside, and crawling through, the de- 
scent is by a wooden ladder, made in the form of 
those used among us. 

One-half of the inside is used as a place of deposit 
for their dried fish, and baskets of berries : the other 
half, nearest the door, remains for the accommodation 
of the family. On each side are arranged, near the 
walls, beds of mats, placed on platforms or bedsteads, 



166 OREGON. 

raised about two feet from the ground. In the mid- 
dle of the vacant space is the fire, or sometimes two 
or three fires, when, as is usually the case, the house 
contains several families. 

The inhabitants received us with great kindness, 
and invited us to their houses. On entering one of 
them, we saw figures of men, birds, and different ani- 
mals, cut and painted on the boards which form the 
sides of the room, the figures uncouth, and the work- 
manship rough ; but doubtless they were as much 
esteemed by the Indians as our finest domestic adorn- 
ments are by us. The chief had several articles, such 
as scarlet and blue cloth, a sword, a jacket, and hat, 
which must have been procured from the whites. 
On one side of the room were two wide split boards, 
placed together so as to make space for a rude figure 
of a man, cut and painted on them. On pointing to 
this, and asking what it meant, he said something, 
of which all we understood was " good," and then 
stepped to the image, and brought out his bow and 
quiver, which, with some other warlike implements, 
Avere kept behind it. The chief then directed his 
wife to hand him his lledicine-bag, from which he 
brought out fourteen fore-fingers, which he told us 
had once belonged to the same number of his ene- 



A SUBMERGED FOREST. 167 

mies. They were shown with great exultation ; and 
after an harangue, which we were left to presume 
was in praise of his exploits, the fingers were care- 
fully replaced among the valuable contents of the red 
Medicine-bag. This bag is an object of religious re- 
gard, and it is a species of sacrilege for any one but 
its owner to touch it. 

In all the houses are images of men, of different 
shapes, and placed as ornaments in the parts of the 
house where they are most likely to be seen. 

A SUBMERGED FOREST. 

Oct. 30. — The river is now about three-quarters of 
a mile wide, with a current so gentle, that it does not 
exceed a mile and a half an hour ; but its course is 
obstructed by large rocks, which seem to have fallen 
from the mountains. What is, however, most singu- 
lar, is, that there are stumps of pine-trees scattered 
to some distance in the river, which has the appear- 
ance of having been dammed below, and forced to 
encroach on the shore. 

NOTE. 

Rev. S. Parker says, " We noticed a remarkable phenome- 
non, — trees standing in their natural position in the river, 
where the water is twenty feet deep. In many places, they 



168 OREGON. 



THE RIVER WIDENS. — THEY MEET THE TIDE. 

Nov. 2, 1805.— Longitude about 122°. At this 
point the first tide-water commences, and the river 
widens to nearly a mile in extent. The low grounds, 
too, become wider ; and they, as well as the moun- 
tains on each side, are covered with pine, spruce, 
cotton-wood, a species of ash, and some alder. After 
being so long accustomed to the dreary nakedness of 
the country above, the change is as grateful to the 
eye as it is useful in supplying us with fuel. 

The ponds in the low grounds on each side of the 
river are resorted to by vast quantities of fowls, such 
as swans, geese, brants, cranes, storks, white gulls, 
cormorants, and plover. The river is wide, and con- 
were so numerous, that we had to pick our way with our canoe 
as through a forest. The water is so clear, that I had an oppor- 
tunity of examining their position down to their spreading roots, 
and found them in the same condition as when standing in their 
native forest. It is evident that *there has been an uncommon 
subsidence of a tract of land, more than twenty miles in length, 
and more than a mile in width. That the trees are not wholly 
decayed down to low-water mark, proves that the subsidence is 
comparatively of recent date ; and their undisturbed natural 
position proves that it took place in a tranquil manner, not by 
any tremendous convulsion of Nature." 



LARGE VILLAGE. — COLUMBIA VALLEY. 169 

tains a great number of sea-otters. In the evening, 
the hunters brought in game for a sumptuous supper, 
which we shared with the Indians, great numbers of 
whom spent the night with us. During the night, 
the tide rose eighteen inches near our camp. 

A LARGE VILLAGE. — COLUMBIA VALLEY. 

Nov. 4. — Next day, we landed on the left bank of 
the river, at a village of twenty-five houses. All of 
these were thatched with straw, and built of bark, 
except one, which was about fifty feet long, built of 
boards, in the form of those higher up the river ; from 
which it differed, however, in being completely above 
ground, and covered with broad split boards. This 
village contains about two hundred men of the Skil 
loot nation, who seem well provided with canoes, of 
which there were fifty-two (some of them very large) 
drawn up in front of the village. 

On landing, we found an Indian from up the river, 
who had been with us some days ago, and now in- 
vited us into a house, of which he appeared to own a 
part. Here he treated us with a root, round in shape, 
about the size of a small Irish potato, which they call 
wappatoo. It is the common arrowhead, or sagittifo- 



170 OREGON. 

lia, so much esteemed by the Chinese, and, when 
roasted in the embers till it becomes soft, has an 
agreeable taste, and is a very good substitute for 
bread. 

Here the ridge of low mountains running north- 
west and south-east crosses the river, and forms the 
western boundary of the plain through which we 
have just passed.* This great plain, or valley, is 
about sixty miles wide in a straight line ; while on 
the right and left it extends to a great distance. It 
is a fertile and delightful country, shaded by thick 
groves of tall timber, watered by small ponds, and 
lying on both sides of the river. The soil is rich, 
and capable of any species of culture ; but, in the 
present condition of the Indians, its chief production 
is the wappatoo-root, which grows spontaneously and 
exclusively in this region. Sheltered as it is on both 
sides, the temperature is much milder than that of 
the surrounding country. Through its whole extent, 
it is inhabited by numerous tribes of Indians, who 
either reside in it permanently, or visit its waters 
in quest of fish and wappatoo-roots. We gave it the 
name of the Columbia Valley. 

* Since called the Coast range. 



COFFIN ROCK. — TIIEY REACH THE OCEAN. 171 
COFFIN ROCK. 

Among some interesting islands of basalt, there is 
one called CoflSn Rock, situated in the middle of the 
river, rising ten or fifteen feet above high-freshet 
water. It is almost entirely covered with canoes, in 
which the dead are deposited, which gives it its 
name. In the section of country from Wappatoo 
Island to the Pacific Ocean, the Indians, instead of 
committing their dead to the earth, deposit them in 
canoes ; and these are placed in such situations as are 
most secure from beasts of prey, upon such precipices 
as this island, upon branches of trees, or upon scaf- 
folds made for the purpose. The bodies of the dead 
are covered with mats, and split planks are placed 
over them. The head of the canoe is a little raised, 
and at the foot there is a hole made for water to 
escape. 

THEY REACH THE OCEAN. 

Next day we passed the mouth of a large river, a 
hundred and fifty yards wide, chilled by the Indians 
Cowalitz. A beautiful, extensive plain now presented 
itself; but, at the distance of a few miles, the hills 
again closed in upon the river, so that we could not 



172 OREGON. 

for several miles find a place sufficiently level to fix 
our camp upon for the night. 

Thursday, Nov. 7. — The morning was rainy, and the 
fog so thick, that we could not see across the river. 
We proceeded down the river, with an Indian for our 
pilot, till, after making about twenty miles, the fog 
cleared off, and we enjoyed the delightful prospect 
of the Ocean, the object of all our labors, the reward 
of all our endurance. This cheering view exhilarated 
the spirits of all the party, who listened with delight 
to the distant roar of the breakers. 

For ten days after our arrival at the coast, we were 
harassed by almost incessant rain. On the 12th, a 
violent gale of wind arose, accompanied with thunder, 
lightning, and hail. The waves were driven with 
fury against the rocks and trees, which had till then 
afforded us a partial defence. Cold and wet ; our 
clothes and bedding rotten as well as wet; the ca- 
noes, our only mean's of escape from the place, at the 
mercy of the waves, — we were, however, fortunate 
enough to enjoy good health. 

Saturday, Nov. 16. — The morning was clear and 
beautiful. We put out our baggage to dry, and sent 
several of the party to hunt. The camp was in full 
view of the ocean. The wind was strong from the 



AN EXCURSION DOWN THE BAY. 173 

south-west, and the waves very high ; yet the Indians 
were passing up and down the bay in canoes, and 
several of them encamped near us. The hunters 
brought in two deer, a crane, some geese and ducks, 
and several brant. The tide rises at this place eight 
feet six inches, and rolls over the beach in great 
waves. 

AN EXCURSION DOWN THE BAY. 

Capt. Clarke started on Monday, 18th November, on 
an excursion by land down the bay, accompanied by 
eleven men. The country is low, open, and marshy, 
partially covered with high pine and a thick under- 
growth. At the distance of about fifteen miles they 
reached the cape, which forms the northern boundary 
of the river's mouth, called Cape Disappointment, so 
named by Capt. Meares, after a fruitless search for 
the river. _ It is an elevated circular knob, rising with 
a steep ascent a hundred and fifty feet or more above 
the water, covered with thick timber on the inner 
side, but open and grassy in the exposure next the 
sea. The opposite point of the bay is a very low 
ground, about ten miles distant, called, by Capt. Gray, 
Point Adams. 

The water for a great distance off the mouth of the 



174 OREGON. 

river appears very shallow; and within the mouth, 
nearest to Point Adams, there is a large sand-bar, 
almost covered at high tide. We could not ascertain 
the direction of the deepest channel ; for the waves 
break with tremendous force across the bay. ' 

Mr. Parker speaks more fully of this peculiarity of 
the river : — 

"A difficulty of such a nature as is not easily overcome 
exists in regard to the navigation of this river; which is, the 
sand-bar at its entrance. It is about five miles, across the bar, 
from Cape Disappointment out to sea. In no part of that dis- 
tance is the water upon the bar over eight fathoms deep, and in 
one place only five, and the channel only about half a mile in 
width. So wide and open is the ocean, that there is always a 
heavy swell : and, when the wind is above a gentle breeze, there 
are breakers quite across the bar ; so that there is no passing it, 
except when the wind and tide are both fiivorable. Outside the 
bar, there is no anchorage ; and there have been instances, in 
the winter season, of ships lying oif and on thirty days, waiting 
for an opportunity to pass : and a good pilot is always needed. 
High, and in most parts perpendicular, basaltic rocks line the 
shores." 

The following is Theodore Winthrop's description 
of the Columbia, taken from his "Canoe and Sad- 
dle:"— 

"A wall of terrible breakers marks the mouth of the Colum- 
bia, — Achilles of rivers. 

" Other mighty streams may swim feebly away seaward, may 



^.V EXCURSIOJV DOWX THE BAY. 175 

siak into foul marshes, may trickle through the ditches of an 
oozy delta, may scatter among sand-bars the currents that once 
moved majestic and united ; but to this heroic flood was des- 
tined a short life and a glorious one, — a life all one strong, 
victorious struggle, from the mountains to the sea. It has no 
infancy : two great branches collect its waters up and down 
the continent. They join, and the Columbia is born — to full 
manhood. It rushes forward jubilant through its magnifieent 
chasm, and leaps to its death in the Pacific." 



CHAPTER XIII. 

WINTER-QUARTERS. 

nyrOVEMBER, 1805.— Having now examined the 
coast, it becomes necessary to decide on the 
spot for our winter-quarters. We must rely chiefly 
for subsistence upon our arms, and be guided in the 
choice of our residence by the supply of game which 
any particular spot may offer. The Indians say that 
the country on the opposite side of the river is better 
supplied with elk, — an animal much larger, and mora 
easily killed, than the deer, with flesh more nutritive, 
and a skin better fitted for clothing. The neighbor- 
hood of the sea is, moreover, recommended by the fa- 
cility of supplying ourselves with salt, and the hope 
of meeting some of the trading-vessels, which are ex- 
pected about three months hence, from which we 
may procure a fresh supply of trinkets for our jour- 
ney homewards. These considerations induced us to 
determine on visiting the opposite; side of tlie bay; 

170 



WINTEE-QUARTER8. 177 

and, if there was an appearance of plenty of game, to 
establish ourselves there lor the winter. 

Monday, 25th November, we set out ; but, as the 
wind was too high to suffer us to cro.ss the river, we 
kept near the shore, watching for a favorable change. 
On leaving our camp, seven Clatsops in a canoe ac- 
companied us, but, after going a few miles, left us, 
and steered straight across through immense, high 
waves, leaving us in admiration at the dexterity with 
which they threw aside each wave as it threatened to 
come over their canoe. 

Next day, with a more favorable wind, we began 
to cross the river. We passed between some low, 
marshy islands, and reached the south side of -the Co- 
lumbia, and landed at a village of nine large houses. 
Soon after we landed, three Indians came down from 
the village with wappatoo-roots, which we purchased 
with fish-hooks. 

We proceeded along the shore till we came to a 
remarkable knob of land projecting about a mile and 
a half into the bay, about four miles round, while the 
neck of land which unites it to the main is not more 
than fifty yards across. We went round this projec- 
tion, which we named Point William ; but the waves 
then became so high, that we could not venture any 



12 



178 OB EG ON. 

farther, and therefore landed on a beautiful shore of 
pebbles of various colors, and encamped near an old 
Indian hut on the isthmus. 

DISCOMFORTS. 

Nov. 27. — It rained hard all next day, and the 
next, attended with a high wind from the south-west. 
It was impossible to proceed on so rough a sea. We 
therefore sent several men to hunt, and the rest of 
us remained during the day in a situation the most 
cheerless and uncomfortable. On this little neck of 
land, we are exposed, with a miserable covering 
which does not deserve the name of a shelter, to the 
violence of the winds. All our bedding and stores 
are completely wet, our clothes rotting with constant 
exposure, and no food except the dried fish brought 
from the falls, to which we are again reduced. The 
hunters all returned hungry, and drenched with rain ; 
having seen neither deer nor elk, and the swans and 
brants too shy to be approached. At noon, the wind 
shifted to the north-west, and blew with such fury, 
that many trees were blown down near us. The gale 
lasted with short intervals during the whole night ; 
but towards morning the wind lulled, though the rain 
continued, and the waves were still high. 



WINTER-QUARTERS. 179 

30th. — The hunters met with no better success 
this day and the next, and the weather continued 
rainy. But on Monday, 2d December, one of the 
hunters killed an elk at the distance of six miles 
from the camp, and a canoe was sent to bring it. 
This was the first elk we had killed on the west side 
of the Rocky Mountains; and, condemned as we have 
been to the dried fish, it forms a most acceptable food. 

The rain continued, with brief interruptions, during 
the whole month of December. There were occa- 
sional falls of snow, but no frost or ice. 

WINTEE-QUAETERS. 

Capt. Lewis returned from an excursion down the 
bay, having left two of his men to guard six elks and 
five deer which the party had shot. He had exam- 
ined the coast, and found a river a short distance 
below, on which we might encamp for the winter, 
with a sufficiency of elk for our subsistence within 
reach. This information was very satisfactory, and 
we decided on going thither as soon as we could 
move from the point ; but it rained all night and the 
following day. 

Saturday, 7th December, 1805, was fair. We there- 
fore loaded our canoes, and proceeded : but the tide 



180 OREGON. 

was against us, and the waves very high ; so that we 
were obhged to proceed slowly and cautiously. We 
at length turned a point, and found ourselves in a 
deep bay. Here we landed for breakfast, and were 
joined by a party sent out three days ago to look for 
the six elk. After breakfast, we coasted round the 
bay, which is about four miles across, and receives 
two rivers. We called it Meriwether's Bay, from the 
Christian name of Capt. Lewis, who was, no doubt, 
the first white man who surveyed it. On reaching 
the south side of the bay, we ascended one of the 
rivers for three miles to the first point of highland, on 
its western bank, and formed our camp in a thick 
grove of lofty pines about two hundred yards from 
the water, and thirty feet above the level of the high 
tides. 

THE CLATSOPS AT HOME. 

Capt. Clarke started on an expedition to the sea- 
shore, to fix upon a place for the salt-works. He took 
six men with him ; but three of them left in pursuit 
of a herd of elk. He met three Indians loaded with 
fresh salmon, which they had taken, and were return- 
ing to their village, whither they invited him to ac- 
company them. He agreed; and they brought out g, 



THE CLATSOPS AT HOME. 181 

canoe hid along the bank of a creek. Capt. Clarke 
and his party got on board, and in a short time were 
landed at the village, consisting of twelve houses, 
inhabited by twelve families of Clatsops. These 
houses were on the south exposure of a hill, and 
sunk about four feet deep into the ground ; the walls, 
roof, and gable-ends being formed of split-pine boards ; 
the descent through a small door down a ladder. 
There were two fires in the middle of the room, and 
the beds disposed round the walls, two or three feet 
from the floor, so as to leave room under them for 
their bags, baskets, and household articles. The floor 
was covered with mats. 

Capt. Clarke was received with much attention. 
As soon as he entered, clean mats were spread, and 
fish, berries, and roots set before him on small, neat 
platters of rushes. After he had eaten, the men of 
the other houses came and smoked with him. They 
appeared much neater in their persons tlian Indians 
generally are. 

Towards evening, it began to rain and blow vio- 
lently ; and Capt. Clarke therefore determined to 
remain during the night. When they thought his 
appetite had returned, an old woman presented him, 
in a bowl made of light-colored horn, a kind of sirup, 



182 OREGON. 

pleasant to the taste, made from a species of berry 
common in this country, about the size of a cherry, 
called by the Indians shelwel. Of these berries a 
bread is also prepared, which, being boiled with 
roots, forms a soup, which was served in neat 
wooden trenchers. This, with some cockles, was his 
repast. 

The men of the village now collected, and began to 
gamble. The most common game was one in which 
one of the company was banker, and played against 
all the rest. He had a piece of bone about the size 
of a large bean ; and, having agreed with any one as 
to the value of the stake, he would pass the bone 
with great dexterity from one hand to the other, 
singing at the same time to divert the attention of 
his adversary. Then, holding up his closed hands, 
his antagonist was challenged to say in which of 
them the bone was, and lost or won as he pointed to 
the right or wrong hand. 

To this game of hazard they abandon themselves 
with great ardor. Sometimes every thing they pos- 
sess is sacrificed to it ; and this evening several of 
the Indians lost all the beads which they had with 
them. 

This lasted for three hours ; when, Capt. Clarke ap- 



THE CLATSOP S AT HOME. 183 

pearing disposed to sleep, the man who had been 
most attentive, and whose name was Cuskalah, spread 
two new mats by the fire ; and, ordering his Avife to 
retire to her own bed, the rest of the company dis- 
persed at the same time. Capt. Clarke then lay 
down, and slept as well as the fleas would permit 
him. 

Next morning was cloudy, with some rain. He 
walked on the sea-shore, and observed the Indians 
walking up and down, and examining the shore. He 
was at a loss to understand their object till one of 
them explained that they were in search of fish, 
which are thrown on shore by the tide ; adding, in 
English, " Sturgeon is good." There is every reason 
to suppose that these Clatsops depend for their sub- 
sistence during the winter chiefly on the fish thus 
casually thrown on the coast. 

After amusing himself for some time on the beach, 
Capt. Clarke returned toward the village. One of 
the Indians asked him to shoot a duck which he 
pointed out. He did so ; and, having accidentally 
shot off its head, the bird was brouglit to the vil- 
lage, and all the Indians came round in astonishment. 
They examined the duck, the musket, and the very 
small bullet (a hundred to the pound); and then ex- 



184 OREGON. 

claimed in their language, " Good musket : don't 
understand this kind of musket." 

They now placed before him their best roots, fish, 
and sirup ; after which he bought some berry-bread 
and a few roots in exchange for fish-hooks, and then 
set out to return by the same route by which he 
came. He was accompanied by Cuskalah and his 
brother part of the way, and proceeded to the camp 
through a heavy rain. The party had been occupied 
during his absence in cutting down trees and in 
hunting. 

Next day, two of our hunters returned with the 
pleasing intelligence of their having' killed eighteen 
elk about six miles off. Our huts begin to rise ; for, 
though it rains all day, we continue our labors, 
and are glad to find that the beautiful balsam-pine 
splits into excellent boards more than two feet in 
width. 

Dec. 15. — Capt. Clarke, with sixteen men, set out 
in three canoes to get the elk which were killed. 
After landing as near the spot as possible, the men 
were despatched in small parties to bring in the 
game ; each man returning with a quarter of an 
animal. It was accomplished with much labor and 
suffering ; for the rain fell incessantly. 



THE FORT COMPLETED. 185 

THE FORT COMPLETED. 

We now had the meat-house covered, and all our 
game carefully hung up in small pieces. Two days 
after, we covered in four huts. Five men were sent 
out to hunt, and five others despatched to the sea- 
side, each with a large kettle, in order to begin the 
manufacture of salt. The rest of the men were em- 
ployed in making pickets and gates for our fort. 

Dec. 31. — As if it were impossible to have twenty- 
four hours of pleasant weather, the sky last even- 
ing clouded up, and the rain began, and continued 
through the day. In the morning, there came down 
two canoes, — one from the Wahkiacum village ; the 
other contained three men and a squaw of the Skil- 
loot nation. They brought wappatoo and shanatac 
roots, dried fish, mats made of flags and rushes, 
dressed elk-skins, and tobacco, for which, particularly 
the skins, they asked an extravagant price. We 
purchased some wappatoo and a little tobacco, very 
much like that we had seen among the Shoshonees, 
put up in small, neat bags made of rushes. These 
we obtained in exchange for a few articles, among 
which fish-hooks are tlie most esteemed. One of the 
Skilloots brought a gun which wanted some repair ; 



18G OREGON. 

and, when we had put it in order, we received from 
him a present of about a peck of wappatoo. We then 
gave him a piece of sheep-skin and bhie cloth to 
cover the lock, and he very thankfully offered a fur- 
ther present of roots. There is an obvious superi- 
ority of these Skilloots over the Wahkiacums, who 
are intrusive, thievish, and impertinent. Our new 
regulations, however, and the appearance of the sen- 
tinel, have improved the behavior of all our Indian 
visitors. They left the fort before sunset, even with- 
out being ordered. 



CHAPTER XIY. 

A NEW YEAR. 

TTTB were awaked at an early hour by the dis- 
charge of a volley of small-arms to salute the 
new year. This is the only way of doing honor to 
the day which our situation admits ; for our only 
dainties are boiled elk and wappatoo, enlivened by 
draughts of water. 

Next day, we were visited by the chief, Comowool, 
and six Clatsops. Besides roots and berries, they 
brought for sale three dogs. Having been so long 
accustomed to live on the flesh of dogs, the most of 
us have acquired a fondness for it ; and any objection 
to it is overcome by reflecting, that, while we sub- 
sisted on that food, we were fatter, stronger, and in 
better health, than at any period since leaving the 
buffalo country, east of the mountains. 

The Indians also brought with them some whale's 
blubber, which they obtained, they told us, from their 

187 



188 OREGON. 

neighbors who live on the sea-coast, near one of 
whose villages a whale has recently been thrown and 
stranded. It was white, and not unlike the fat of 
pork, though of a more porous and spongy texture ; 
and, on being cooked, was found to be tender and 
palatable, in flavor resembling the flesh of the beaver. 
Two of the five men who were despatched to make 
salt returned. They had formed an establishment 
about fifteen miles south-west of our fort, near some 
scattered houses of the Clatsops, where they erected 
a comfortable camp, and had killed a stock of provis- 
ions. They brought with them a gallon of the salt 
of their manufacture, which was white, fine, and very 
good. It proves to be a most agreeable addition to 
our food ; and, as they can make three or four quarts 
a day, we have a prospect of a plentiful supply. 

THE WHALE. 

The appearance of the whale seemed to be a matter 
of importance to all the neighboring Indians ; and in 
hopes that we might be able to procure some of it for 
ourselves, or at least purchase some from the Indians, 
a small parcel of merchandise was prepared, and a 
party of men got in readiness to set out in the morn- 
ing. As soon as this resolution was known, Chabo- 



THE WHALE. 189 

neau and his wife requested that they might be per- 
mitted to accompany us. The poor woman urged 
very earnestly that she had travelled a great way 
with us to see the great water, yet she had never 
been down to the coast ; and, now that this monstrous 
fish also was to be seen, it seemed hard that she 
should not be permitted to see either the ocean or 
the whale. So reasonable a request could not be 
denied : they were therefore suffered to accompany 
Capt. Clarke, who next day, after an early breakfast, 
set out .with twelve men in two canoes. 

He proceeded down the river on which we are en- 
camped into Meriwether Bay ; from whence he passed 
up a creek three miles to some high, open land, where 
he found a road. He there left the canoes, and fol- 
lowed the path over deep marshes to a pond about a 
mile long. Here they saw a herd of elk; and the men 
were divided into small parties, and hunted them till 
after dark. Three of the elk were wounded ; but 
night prevented our taking more than one, which 
was brought to the camp, and cooked with some 
sticks of pine which had drifted down the creeks. 
The weather was beautiful, the sky clear, and the 
moon shone brightly, — a circumstance the more 
agreeable, as this is the first fair evening we have 
enjoyed for two mouths. 



190 OREGON. 

Thursday, Jan. 2. — There was a frost this morn- 
ing. We rose early, and taking eight pounds of 
flesh, which was all that remained of the elk, pro- 
ceeded up the south fork of the creek. At the dis- 
tance of two miles we found a pine-tree, which had 
been felled by one of our salt-makers, on which we 
crossed the deepest part of the creek, and waded 
through the rest. We then went over an open, ridgy 
prairie, three-quarters of a mile to the sea-beach ; after 
following which for three miles, we came to the mouth 
of a beautiful river, with a bold, rapid current,. eighty- 
five yards wide, and three feet deep in its shallowest 
crossings. On its north-east side are the remains of 
an old village of Clatsops, inhabited by only a single 
family, who appeared miserably poor and dirty. We 
gave the man two fish-hooks to ferry the party over 
the river, which, from the tribe on its banks, we called 
Clatsop River. The creek which we had passed on a 
tree approaches this river within about a hundred 
yards, and, by means of a portage, supplies a commu- 
nication with the villages near Point Adams. 

After going on for two miles, we found the salt- 
makers encamped near four houses of Clatsops and 
Killimucks, who, though poor and dirty, seemed kind 
and well-disposed. We persuaded a young Indian, by 



CLARKE'S POINT OF VIEW. 191 

the present of a file and a promise of some other arti- 
cles, to guide us to the spot where the whale lay. He 
led us for two and a half miles over the round, slip- 
pery stones at the foot of a high hill projecting into 
the sea, and then, suddenly stopping, and uttering the 
word " peshack," or bad, explained by signs that we 
could no longer follow the coast, but must cross the 
mountain. This threatened to be a most laborious 
undertaking ; for the side was nearly perpendicular, 
and the top lost in clouds. He, however, followed an 
Indian path, which wound along, and favored the as- 
cent as much as possible ; but it was so steep, that, at 
one place, we were forced to draw ourselves up for 
about a hundred feet by means of bushes and roots. 

Clarke's point of view. 

At length, after two hours' labor, we reached the 
top of the mountain, where we looked down with 
astonishment on the height of ten or twelve hundred 
feet which we had ascended. We were here met 
by fourteen Indians loaded with oil and blubber, the 
spoils of the whale, which they were carrying in 
very heavy burdens over this rough mountain. On 
leaving them, we proceeded over a bad road till 
night, when we encamped on a small run. We were 



192 OREGON. 

all much fatigued : but the weather was pleasant; and, 
for the first time since our arrival here, an entire day 
has passed without rain. 

In the morning we set out early, and proceeded 
to the top of the mountain, the highest point of 
which is an open spot facing the ocean. It is situated 
about thirty miles south-east of Cape Disappointment, 
and projects nearly two and a half miles into the 
sea. Here one of the most delightful views imagina- 
ble presents itself. Immediately in front is the ocean, 
which breaks with fury on the coast, from the rocks 
of Cape Disappointment as far as the eye can discern 
to the north-west, and against the highlands and ir- 
regular piles of rock which diversify the shore to the 
south-east. To this boisterous scene, the Columbia, 
with its tributary waters, widening into bays as it 
approaches the ocean, and studded on both sides with 
the Chinnook and Clatsop villages, forms a charming 
contrast ; while immediately beneath our feet are 
stretched rich prairies, enlivened by three beautiful 
streams, which conduct the eye to small lakes at the 
foot of the hills. We stopped to enjoy the romantic 
view from this place, which we distinguished by the 
name of Clarke's Point of View, and then followed 
our guide down the mountain. 



THE WHALE. 193 

THE WHALE. 

The descent was steep and dangerous. In many 
places, the hillsides, which are formed principally of 
yellow clay, have been loosened by the late rains, and 
are slipping into the sea in large masses of fifty and 
a hundred acres. In other parts, the path crosses 
the rugged, perpendicular, basaltic rocks which over- 
hang the sea, into which a false step would have pre- 
cipitated us. 

The mountains are covered with a very thick 
growth of timber, chiefly pine and fir; some trees 
of which, perfectly sound and solid, rise to the height 
of two hundred and ten feet, and are from eight to 
twelve in diameter. Intermixed is the white cedar, 
or arbor-vit^, and some trees of black alder, two or 
three feet thick, and sixty or seventy in height. At 
length we reached the sea-level, and continued for 
two miles along the sand-beach, and soon after 
reached the place where the waves had thrown the 
whale on shore. The animal had been placed be- 
tween two villages of Killimucks ; and such had been 
their industry, that there now remained nothing but 
the skeleton, which we found to be a hundred and 

13 



194 OREGON. 

five feet in length. Capt. Clarke named the place 
Ecola, or Whale Creek. 

The natives were busied in boiling the blubber in 
a large square trough of wood by means of heated 
stones, preserving the oil thus extracted in bladders 
and the entrails of the whale. The refuse pieces of 
the blubber, which still contained a portion of oil, were 
hung up in large flitches, and, when wanted for use, 
were warmed on a wooden spit before the fire, and 
eaten, either alone, or with roots of the rush and 
shanatac. The Indians, though they had great quan- 
tities, parted with it very reluctantly, at such high 
prices, that our whole stock of merchandise was ex- 
hausted in the purchase of about three hundred 
pounds of blubber and a few gallons of oil. 

Next morning was fine, the wind from the north- 
east ; and, having divided our stock of the blubber, 
we began at sunrise to retrace our steps in order to 
reach our encampment, which we called Fort Clatsop, 
thirty-five miles distant, with as little delay as possi- 
ble. We met several parties of Indians on their way 
to trade for blubber and oil with the Killimucks : we 
also overtook a party returning from the village, and 
could not but regard with astonishment the heavy 
loads which the women carry over these fatiguing 



DREWYER, THE HUNTER. 195 

and dangerous paths. As one of the women was 
descending a steep part of the mountain, her load 
slipped from her back; and she stood holding it by a 
strap with one hand, and with the other supporting 
herself by a bush. Capt. Clarke, being near her, un- 
dertook to replace the load, and found it almost as 
much as he could lift, and above one hundred pounds 
in weight. Loaded as they were, they kept pace with 
us till we reached the salt-makers' camp, where we 
passed the night, while they continued their route. 

Next day, we proceeded across Clatsop River to 
the place where we had left our canoes, and, as the 
tide was coming in, immediately embarked for the 
fort, at which place we arrived about ten o'clock at 
night. 

DREWYER, THE HUNTER. 

Jan. 12, 1806. — Two hunters had been despatched 
in the morning; and one of them, Drewyer, had, before 
evening, killed seven elks. We should scarcely be 
able to subsist, were it not for the exertions of this 
excellent hunter. The game is scarce ; and none is 
now to be seen except elk, which, to almost all the 
men, are very diflScult to be procured. But Drewyer, 
who is the oflfspring of a Canadian Frenchman and an 



196 OREGON. 

Indian woman, has passed his life in the woods, and 
unites in a wonderful degree the dexterous aim of the 
frontier huntsman with the sagacity of the Indian in 
pursuing the faintest tracks through the forest. All 
our men have indeed become so expert with the rifle, 
that, when there is game of any kind, we are almost 
certain of procuring it. 

Monday, Jan. 13. — Capt. Lewis took all the men who 
could be spared, and brought in the seven elk, which 
they found untouched by the wolves. The last of the 
candles which we brought with us being exhausted, 
we now began to make others of elk-tallow. We also 
employed ourselves in jerking the meat of the elk. 
We have three of the canoes drawn up out of the 
reach of the water, and the other secured by a strong 
cord, so as to be ready for use if wanted. 

Jan. 16. — To-day we finished curing our meat ; 
and having now a plentiful supply of elk and salt, and 
our houses dry and comfortable, we wait patiently for 
the moment of resuming our journey. 



CHAPTER XV. 



WINTER LIFE. 



XAN. 18, 1806. — We are all occupied in dressing 
skins, and preparing clothes for our journey 
homewards. This morning, we sent out two parties 
of hunters in different directions. We were visited 
by three Clatsops, who came merely for the purpose 
of smoking and conversing with us. 

Jan. 21. — Two of the hunters came back with 
three elks, which form a timely addition to our stock 
of provision. The Indian visitors left us at twelve 
o'clock. 

The Clatsops and other nations have visited us 
with great freedom. Having acquired much of their 
language, we are enabled, with the assistance of ges- 
tures, to hold conversations with great ease. We 
find them inquisitive and loquacious ; by no means 
deficient in acuteness. They are generally cheerful, 

197 



198 OREGON. 

but seldom gay. Every thing they see excites their 
attention and inquiries. 

Their treatment of women and old men depends 
very much on the usefulness of these classes. Thus, 
among the Clatsops and Chinnooks, who live upon 
fish and roots, which the women are equally expert 
with the men in procuring, the women have a rank 
and influence far greater than they have among the 
hunting tribes. On many subjects their judgments 
and opinions are respected ; and, in matters of trade, 
their advice is generally asked and followed. So 
with the old men : when one is unable to pursue the 
chase, his counsels may compensate for his want of 
activity ; but in the next state of infirmity, when he 
can no longer travel from camp to camp as the tribe 
roams about for subsistence, he is found to be a bur- 
den. In this condition they are abandoned among 
the Sioux and other hunting-tribes of the Missouri. 
As the tribe are setting out for some new excursion 
where the old man is unable to follow, his children or 
nearest relations place before him a piece of meat 
and some water ; and telling him that he has lived 
long enough, that it is now time for him to go home 
to his relations, who can take better care of him than 



FLATHEAD INDIANS. 199 

his friends on earth, they leave him without remorse 
to perish, when his httle supply is exhausted. 

Though this is doubtless true as a general rule, 
yet, in the villages of the Minnetarees and Ricaras, 
we saw no want of kindness to old men : on the con- 
trary, probably because in villages the more abundant 
means of subsistence renders such cruelty unneces- 
sary, the old people appeared to be treated with at- 
tention ; and some of their feasts, particularly the 
buffalo-dances, were intended chiefly as an occasion 
of contribution for the old and infirm. 

FLATHEAD INDIANS. 

The custom of flattening the head by artificial 
pressure during infancy prevails among all the na- 
tions we have seen west of the Rocky Mountains. 
To the east of that barrier the fashion is so perfectly 
unused, that they designate the western Indians, of 
whatever tribe, by the common name of Flatheads. 
The practice is universal among the Killamucks, Clat- 
sops, Chinnooks, and Cathlamahs, — the four nations 
with \^^om we have had most intercourse. Soon 
after the birth of her child, the mother places it in 
the compressing-frame, where it is kept for ten or 
twelve months. The operation is so gradual, that it 



200 OREGON. 

is not attended with pain. The heads of the children, 
when they are released from the bandage, are not 
more than two inches thick about the upper edge 
of the forehead : nor, with all its efforts, can na- 
ture ever restore their shape; the heads of grown 
persons being often in a straight line from the tip of 
the nose to the top of the forehead. 

TEMPERANCE. — GAMBLING. 

Their houses usually contain several families, con- 
sisting of parents, sons and daughters, daughters-in- 
law and grand-children, among whom the provisions 
are in common, and harmony seldom interrupted. 
As these families gradually expand into tribes, 
or nations, the paternal authority is represented by 
the chief of each association. The chieftainship is 
not hereditary : the chief's ability to render service 
to his neighbors, and the popularity which follows it, 
is the foundation of his authority, which does not 
extend beyond the measure of his personal in- 
fluence. 

The harmony of their private life is protected by 
their ignorance of spirituous liquors. Although the 
tribes near the coast have had so much intercourse 
with the whites, they do not appear to possess any 



TEMPERANCE. — GAMBLING. 201 

knowledge of those dangerous luxuries ; at least, 
they have never inquired of us for them. Indeed, 
we have not observed any liquor of an intoxicating 
quality used among any Indians west of the Rocky 
Mountains ; the universal beverage being pure water. 
They, however, almost intoxicate themselves by smok- 
ing tobacco, of which they are excessively fond. But 
the common vice of all these people is an attachment 
to games of chance, which they pursue with a ruin- 
ous avidity. The game of the pebble has already 
been described. Another game is something like the 
play of ninepins. Two pins are placed on the floor, 
about the distance of a foot from each other, and a 
small hole made in the earth behind them. The play- 
ers then go about ten feet from the hole, into which 
they try to roll a small piece resembling the men 
used at checkers. If they succeed in putting it into 
the hole, they win the stake. If the piece rolls be- 
tween the pins, but does not go into the hole, nothing 
is won or lost ; but the wager is lost if the checker 
rolls outside the pins. Entire days are wasted at 
these games, which are often continued through the 
night round the blaze of their fires, till the last 
article of clothing or the last blue bead is lost and 
won. 



202 OREGON. 

TREES. 

The whole neighborhood of the coast is supplied 
with great quantities of excellent timber. The pre- 
dominant growth is the fir, of which we have seen 
several species. The first species grows to an im- 
mense size, and is very commonly twenty-seven feet 
in circumference, six feet above the earth's surface. 
They rise to the height of two hundred and thirty 
feet, and one hundred and twenty of that height 
without a limb. We have often found them thirty- 
six feet in circumference. One of our party meas- 
ured one, and found it to be forty-two feet in circum- 
ference at a point beyond the reach of an ordinary 
man. This tree was perfectly sound ; and, at a 
moderate calculation, its height may be estimated at 
three hundred feet. 

The second is a much more common species, and 
constitutes at least one-half of the timber in this 
neighborhood. It resembles the spruce, rising from 
one hundred and sixty to one hundred and eighty 
feet; and is from four to six feet in diameter, straight, 
round, and regularly tapering. 

The stem of the black alder arrives at a great size. 
It is sometimes found growing to the height of sixty 
or seventy feet, and is from two to four in diameter. 



ANIMALS. 203 

There is a tree, common on the Columbia River, 
much resembling the ash, and another resembling 
the white maple, though much smaller. 

The undergrowth consists of honeysuckle, alder, 
whortleberr}^, a plant like the mountain-holly, green 
brier, and fern. 

ANIMALS. 

The beaver of this country is large and fat : the 
flesh is very palatable, and, at our table, was a real 
luxury. On the 7th of January, our hunter found a 
beaver in his trap, of which he made a bait for taking 
others. This bait will entice the beaver to the trap 
as far as he can smell it; and this may be fairly stated 
to be at the distance of a mile, as their sense of 
smelling is very acute. 

The sea-otter resides only on the sea-coast or in 
the neighborhood of the salt water. When fully 
grown, he attains to the size of a large mastiff dog. 
The ears, which are not an inch in length, are thick, 
pointed, fleshy, and covered with short hair ; the tail 
is ten inches long, thick at the point of insertion, and 
partially covered with a deep fur on the upper side ; 
the legs are very short, covered with fur, and the 
feet \vith short hair. The body of this animal is 



204 OREGON. 

long, and of the same thickness throughout. From 
the extremity of the tail to the nose, they measure 
five feet. The color is a uniform dark brown, and 
when in good condition, and in season, perfectly 
black. This animal is unrivalled for the beauty, rich- 
ness, and softness of his fur. The inner part of the 
fur, when opened, is lighter than the surface in its 
natural position. There are some black and shin- 
ing hairs intermixed with the fur, which are rather 
longer, and add much to its beauty. 

HOESES AND DOGS. 

The horse is confined chiefly to the nations inhab- 
iting the great plains of the Columbia, extending 
from latitude forty to fifty north, and occupying the 
tract of country lying between the Rocky Mountains 
and a range of mountains which crosses the Colum- 
bia River about the great falls. In this region they 
are very numerous. 

They appear to be of an excellent race, lofty, well 
formed, active, and enduring. Many of them appear 
like fine English coursers. Some of them are pied, 
with large spots of white irregularly scattered, and 
intermixed with a dark -brown bay. The greater 
part, however, are of a uniform color, marked with 



HORSES AND DOGS. 205 

stars, and white feet. The natives suffer them to run 
at large in the plains, the grass of which affords them 
their only winter subsistence ; their masters taking 
no trouble to lay in a winter's store for them. They 
will, nevertheless, unless much exercised, fatten on 
the dry grass afforded by the plains during the win- 
ter. The plains are rarely moistened by rain, and the 
grass is consequently short and thin. 

Whether the horse was originally a native of this 
country or not, the soil and climate appear to be per- 
fectly well adapted to his nature. Horses are said to 
be found wild in many parts of this country. 

The dog is small, about the size of an ordinary cur. 
He is usually party-colored ; black, white, brown, and 
brindle being the colors most predominant. The 
head is long, the -nose pointed the eyes small, the 
ears erect and pointed like those of the wolf The 
hair is short and smooth, excepting on the tail, where 
it is long and straight, like that of the ordinary cur- 
dog. The natives never eat the flesh of this animal, 
and he appears to be in no other way serviceable to 
them but in hunting the elk. To us, on the contrary, 
it has now become a favorite food ; for it is found to 
be a strong, healthy diet, preferable to lean deer or 
elk, and much superior to horse-flesh in any state. 



206 OREGON. 

BURROWING SQUIRREL. 

There are several species of squirrels not different 
from those found in the Atlantic States. There is 
also a species of squirrel, evidently distinct, which 
we denominate the burrowing squirrel. He measures 
one foot five inches in length, of which the tail com- 
prises two and a half inches only. The neck and* 
legs are short ; the ears are likewise short, obtusely 
pointed, and lie close to the head. The eyes are of a 
moderate size, the pupil black, and the iris of a dark, 
sooty brown. The teeth, and indeed the whole con- 
tour, resemble those of the squirrel. 

These animals associate in large companies, occu- 
pying with their burrows sometimes two hundred 
acres of land. The burrows are separate, and each 
contains ten or twelve of these inhabitants. There 
is a little mound in front of the hole, formed of the 
earth thrown out of tlie burrow ; and frequently there 
are three or four distinct holes, forming one burrow, 
with their entrances around the base of a mound. 
These mounds, about two feet in height and four in 
diameter, are occupied as watch-towers by the inhab- 
itants of these little communities. The squirrels are 
irregularly distributed about the tract they thus oc- 



BIRDS. 207 

cupy, — ten, twenty, or thirty yards apart. When 
any person approaches, they make a slirill whistling 
sound, somewhat resembling "tweet, tweet, tweet; " 
the signal for their party to take the alarm, and to 
retire into their intrenchments. They feed on the 
grass of their village, the limits of which they never 
venture to exceed. As soon as the frost commences, 
they shut themselves up in their caverns, and con- 
tinue until the spring opens. 

BIRDS. 

The Grouse, or Prairie-Hen. — This is peculiarly 
the inhabitant of the great plains of the Columbia, 
but does not differ from those of the upper portion 
of the Missouri. In the winter season, this bird is 
booted to the first joint of the toes. The toes are 
curiously bordered on their lower edges with narrow, 
hard scales, which are placed very close to each 
other, and extend horizontally about one-eighth of 
an inch on each side of the toes, adding much to the 
broadness of the feet, — a security which Nature has 
furnished them for passing over the snow with more 
ease, — and, what is very remarkable, in the summer 
season these scales drop from the feet. The color 
of this bird is a mixture of dark brown, reddish, and 



208 OREGON. 

yellowish brown, with white confusedly mixed. The 
reddish-brown prevails most on the upper parts of 
the body, wings, and tail ; and the white, under the 
belly and the lower parts of the breast and tail. 
They associate in large flocks in autumn and winter; 
and, even in summer, are seen in companies of five or 
six. They feed on grass, insects, leaves of various 
shrubs in the plains, and the seeds of several species 
of plants which grow in richer soils. In winter, their 
food consists of the buds of the willow and cotton- 
wood, and native berries. 

The cock of the plains is found on the plains of 
the Columbia in great abundance. The beak is large, 
short, covered, and convex ; the upper exceeding the 
lower chap. The nostrils are large, and the back 
black. The color is a tiniform mixture of a dark- 
brown, resembling the dove, and a reddish or yellow- 
ish brown, with some small black specks. The habits 
of this bird resemble those of the grouse, excepting 
that his food is the leaf and buds of the pulpy-leaved 
thorn. The flesh is dark, and only tolerable in point 
of flavor. 

HOENED FROG. 

The horned lizard, or horned frog, called, for what 
reason we never could learn, the prairie buffalo, is 



HORNED FROG. 209 

a native of these plains as well as of those of the 
Missouri. The color is generally brown, intermixed 
with yellowish spots. The animal is covered with 
minute scales, interspersed with small horny points, 
or prickles, on the upper surface of the body. The 
belly and throat resemble those of the frog, and are 
of a light yellowish-brown. The edge of the belly 
is likewise beset with small horny projections. The 
eye is small and dark. Above and behind the eyes 
there are several bony projections, which resemble 
horns sprouting from the head. 

These animals are found in greatest numbers in 
the sandy, open plains, and appear most abundant 
after a shower of rain. They are sometimes found 
basking in the sunshine, but generally conceal them- 
selves in little holes of the earth. This may account 
for their appearance in such numbers after rain, as 
their holes may thus be rendered untenantable. 

14 



CHAPTER XVI. 



THE RETURN. 



1% /TARCH, 1806. — Many reasons had inclined us 
to remain at Fort Clatsop till the 1st of April. 
Besides the want of fuel in the Columbian plains, and 
the impracticability of crossing the mountains before 
the beginning of June, Ave were anxious to see some 
of the foreign traders, from whom, by our ample let- 
ters of credit, we might recruit our exhausted stores 
of merchandise. About the middle of March, how- 
ever, we became seriously alarmed for the want of 
food. The elk, our chief dependence, had at length 
deserted its usual haunts in our neighborhood, and re- 
treated to the mountains. We were too poor to pur- 
chase food from the Indians ; so that we were some- 
times reduced, notwithstanding all the exertions of 
our hunters, to a single day's provision in advance. 
The men too, whom the constant rains and confine- 
ment had rendered unhealthy, might, we hoped, be 

210 



THE RETURN. 211 

benefited by leaving the coast, and resuming the ex- 
ercise of travelling. We therefore determined to 
leave Fort Clatsop, ascend the river slowly, consume, 
the month of March in the woody country, where we 
hoped to find subsistence, and in this way reach the 
plains about the 1st of April, before which time it 
will be impossible to cross them. 

During the winter, we have been very industrious 
in dressing skins ; so that we now have a sufficient 
quantity of clothing, besides between three and four 
hundred pairs of moccasons. But the whole stock of 
goods on which we are to depend for the purchase 
of horses or of food, during the long journey of four 
thousand miles, is so much diminished, that it might 
all be tied in two handkerchiefs. We therefore feel 
that our chief dependence must be on our guns, 
which, fortunately, are all in good order, as we took 
the precaution of bringing a number of extra locks, 
and one of our men proved to be an excellent gun- 
smith. The powder had been secured in leaden can- 
isters ; and, though on many occasions they had been 
under water, it remained perfectly dry: and we now 
found ourselves in possession of one hundred and 
forty pounds of powder, and twice that weight of 
lead, — a stock quite sufficient for the route home- 
wards. 



212 OREGON. 

We were now ready to leave Fort Clatsop ; but the- 
rain prevented us for several days from calking the 
canoes, and we were forced to wait for calm weather 
before we could attempt to pass Point William, which 
projects about a mile and a half into the sea, forming, 
as it were, the dividing-line between the river and 
the ocean ; for the water below is salt, while that 
above is fresh. 

On March 23, at one o'clock in the afternoon, we 
took a final leave of Fort Clatsop. We doubled 
Point William without any injury, and at six o'clock 
reached the mouth of a small creek, where we found 
our hunters. They had been fortunate enough to 
kill two elks, which were brought in, and served for 
breakfast next morning. 

Next day, we were overtaken by two Wakiacums, 
who brought two dogs, for which they wanted us to 
give them some tobacco ; but, as we had very little 
of that article left, they were obliged to go away 
disappointed. We received at the same time an 
agreeable supply of three eagles and a large goose, 
brought in by the hunters. 

We passed the entrance of Cowalitz River, seventy 
miles from our Avinter caoip. This stream enters the 
Columbia from the north ; is one hundred and fifty 



THE RETURN. 213 

yards wide ; deep and navigable, as the Indians as- 
sert, for a considerable distance ; and probably waters 
the country west and north of the Cascade Moun- 
tains, which cross the Columbia between the great 
falls and rapids. During the day, we passed a num- 
ber of jBshing-camps on both sides of the river, and 
were constantly attended by small parties of Skil- 
loots, who behaved in the most orderly manner, and 
from whom we purchased as much fish and roots as 
we wanted, on moderate terms. The night continued 
as the day had been, — cold, wet, and disagreeable ; 
which is the general character of the weather in this 
region at this season. 

March 29. — At an early hour, we resumed our 
route, and halted for breakfast at the upper end of an 
island where is properly the commencement of the 
great Columbian Valley. We landed at a village of 
fourteen large wooden houses. The people received 
us kindly, and spread before us wappatoo and ancho- 
vies ; but, as soon as we had finished enjoying this 
hospitality (if it deserves that name), they began to 
ask us for presents. They were, however, perfectly 
satisfied with the small articles which we distributed 
according to custom, and equally pleased with our 
purchasing some wappatoo, twelve- dogs, and two sea- 



214 OREGON. 

otter skins. We also gave the chief a small medal, 
which he soon transferred to his wife. 

April 1. — We met a number of canoes filled with 
families descending the river. These people told us 
that they lived at the Great Eapids, but that a 
scarcity of provisions there had induced them to 
come down in hopes of finding subsistence in this 
fertile valley. All those who lived at the rapids, as 
well as the nations above them, they said, were in 
much distress for want of food, having consumed 
their winter store of dried fish, and not expecting 
the return of the salmon before the next full moon, 
which will be on the 2d of May. 

This intelligence was disagreeable and embarrass- 
ing. From the falls to the Chopunnish nation, the 
plains afford no deer, elk, or antelope, on which we 
can rely for subsistence. The horses are very poor 
at this season; and the dogs must be in the same 
condition, if their food, the fish, have failed. On the 
other hand, it is obviously inexpedient to wait for 
the return of the salmon, since, in that case, we may 
not reach the Missouri before the ice will prevent our 
navigating it. We therefore decided to remain here 
only till we collect meat enough to last us till we 
reach the Chopunnish nation, with whom we left our 



THE RETURN. 215 

horses on our downward journey, trusting that we 
shall find the animals safe, and have them faithfully 
returned to us ; for, without them, the passage of the 
mountains will be almost impracticable. 

April 2, 1806. — Several canoes arrived to visit us ; 
and among the party were two young men who be- 
longed to a nation, which, they said, resides at the falls 
of a large river which empties itself into the south 
side of the Columbia, a few miles below us ; and they 
drew a map of the country with a coal on a mat. In 
order to verify this information, Capt. Clarke per- 
suaded one of the young men, by the present of a 
burning-glass, to accompany him to the river, in 
search of which he immediately set out with a canoe 
and seven of our men. 

In the evening, Capt. Clarke returned from his 
excursion. After descending about twenty miles, he 
entered the mouth of a large river, which was con- 
cealed, by three small islands opposite its entrance, 
from those who pass up or down the Columbia. This 
river, which the Indians call Multnomah, from a na- 
tion of the same name residing near it on Wappatoo 
Island, enters the Columbia one hundred and forty 
miles above the mouth of the latter river. The cur- 
rent of the Multnomah, which is also called Willamett, 



216 OREGON. 

is as gentle as that of the Columbia ; and it appears to 
possess water enough for the largest ship, since, on 
sounding with a line of five fathoms, they could find 
no bottom. 

Capt. Clarke ascended the river to the village of 
his guide. He found here a building two hundred 
and twenty-six feet in front, entirely above ground, 
and all under one roof; otherwise it would seem more 
like a range of buildings, as it is divided into seven 
distinct apartments, each thirty feet square. The 
roof is formed of rafters, with round poles laid on 
them longitudinally. The whole is covered with a 
double row of the bark of the white cedar, secured 
by splinters of dried fir, inserted through it at regu- 
lar distances. In this manner, the roof is made light, 
strong, and durable. 

In the house were several old people of both 
sexes, who were treated with much respect, and still 
seemed healthy, though most of them were perfectly 
blind. 

On inquiring the cause of the decline of their vil- 
lage, which was shown pretty clearly by the remains 
of several deserted buildings, an old man, father of 
the guide, and a person of some distinction, brought 
forward a woman very much marked with the small- 



WAPPATOO ISLAND AND ROOT. 217 

pox, and said, that, when a girl, she was near dying 
with the disorder which had left those marks, and 
that the inhabitants of the houses now in ruins had 
fallen victims to the same disease. 

WAPPATOO ISLAND AND ROOT. 

Wappatoo Island is a large extent of country lying 
between the Multnomah River and an arm of the Co- 
lumbia. The island is about twenty miles long, and 
varies in breadth from five to ten miles. The land is 
high, and extremely fertile, and on most parts is sup- 
plied with a heavy growth of cottonwood, ash, and 
willow. But the chief wealth of this island consists 
of the numerous ponds in the interior, abounding with 
the common arrow-head (^Sagittaria sagittifolia) , to 
the root of which is attached a bulb growing beneath 
it, in the mud. This bulb, to which the Indians give 
the name of wappatoo, is the great article of food, 
and almost the staple article of commerce, on the 
Columbia. It is never out of season ; so that, at all 
times of the year, the valley is frequented by the 
neighboring Indians who come to gather it. It is 
collected chiefly by the women, who employ for the 
purpose canoes from ten to fourteen feet in length, 
about two feet wide, and nine inches deep, tapering 



218 OREGON. 

from the middle, where they are about twenty inches 
wide. They are sufficient to contain a single person 
and several bushels of roots; yet so Hght, that a woman 
can carry one with ease. She takes one of these ca- 
noes into a pond where the water is as high as the 
breast, and, by means of her toes, separates from the 
root this bulb, which, on being freed from the mud, 
rises immediately to the surface of the water, and is 
thrown into the canoe. In this manner, these patient 
females remain in the water for several hours, even 
in the depth of winter. This plant is found through 
the whole extent of the valley in which we now are, 
but does not grow on the Columbia farther eastward. 

SCEISHEEY OF THE EIVEE AND SHORES. 

Above the junction of the Multnomah River, we 
passed along under high, steep, and rocky sides of 
the mountains, which here close in on each side of 
the river, forming stupendous precipices, covered 
with the fir and white cedar. Down these heights 
frequently descend the most beautiful cascades, — 
one of which, a large stream, throws itself over a per- 
pendicular rock, three hundred feet above the water ; 
while other smaller streams precipitate themselves 
from a still greater elevation, and, separating into a 



SCENERY OF THE RIVER AND SHORES. 219 

mist, again collect, and form a second cascade before 
they reach the bottom of the rocks. 

The hills on both sides of the river are about two 
hundred and fifty feet high, generally abrupt and 
craggy, and in man}' places presenting a perpendicu- 
lar face of black, hard, basaltic rock. From the top 
of these hills, the country extends itself, in level 
plains, to a very great distance. 

To one remarkable elevation we gave the name of 
Beacon Rock. It stands on the north side of the 
river, insulated from the hills. The northern side 
has a partial growth of fir or pine. To the south, it 
rises in an unbroken precipice to the height of seven 
hundred feet, where it terminates in a sharp point, 
and may be seen at the distance of twenty miles. 
This rock may be considered as the point where tide- 
water commences. 

April 19. — We formed our camp at the foot of the 
Long Narrows, a little above a settlement of Skilloots. 
Their dwellings were formed by sticks set in the 
ground, and covered with mats and straw, and so 
large, that each was the residence of several families. 

The whole village was filled with rejoicing at hav- 
ing caught a salmon, which was considered as the 
harbinger of vast quantities that would arrive in a 



220 OREGON. 

few days. In the belief that it would hasten their 
coming, the Indians, according to their custom, 
dressed the fish, and cut it into small pieces, one 
of which was given to every child in the village ; 
and, in the good humor excited by this occurrence, 
they parted, though reluctantly, with four horses, 
for which we gave them two kettles, reserving to 
ourselves only one. 

We resumed our route, and soon after halted on a 
hill, from the top of which we had a commanding 
view of the range of mountains in which Mount 
Hood stands, and which continued south as far as 
the eye could reach ; their summits being covered 
with snow. Mount Hood bore south thirty degrees 
west ; and another snowy summit, which we have 
called Mount Jefferson, south ten degrees west. 

Capt. Clarke crossed the river, with nine men 
and a large part of the merchandise, to purchase, 
if possible, twelve horses to transport our baggage, 
and some pounded fish, as a reserve, on the passage 
across the mountains. He succeeded in purchasing 
only four horses, and those at double the price 
that had been paid to the Shoshonees. 

April 20. — As it was much for our interest to pre- 
serve the good will of these people, we passed over 



SCENERY OF THE RIVEE AND SHORES. 221 

several small thefts which they had committed ; but 
this morning we learned that six tomahawks and a 
knife had been stolen during the night. We ad- 
dressed ourselves to the chief, who seemed angry 
with his people ; but we did not recover the articles : 
and soon afterwards two of our spoons were missing. 
We therefore ordered them all from the camp. They 
left us in ill-humor, and we therefore kept on our 
guard against any insult. 

April 22. — We began our march at seven o'clock. 
We had just reached the top of a hill near the village, 
when the load of one of the horses turned ; and the 
animal, taking fright at a robe which still adhered to 
him, ran furiously toward the village. Just as he 
came there, the robe fell, and an Indian made way 
with it. The horse was soon caught ; but the robe 
was missing, and the Indians denied having seen it. 
These repeated acts of knavery had quite exhausted 
our patience ; and Capt. Lewis set out for the village, 
determined to make them deliver up the robe, or to 
burn their houses to the ground. This retaliation 
was happily rendered unnecessary ; for on his way 
he met two of our men, who had found the robe in 
one of the huts, hid behind some baggage. 

April 24. — The Indians had promised to take our 



222 OREGON. 

canoes in exchange for horses ; but, wlien they found 
that we were resolved on travelling by land, they re- 
fused giving us any thing for them, in hopes that we 
would be forced to leave them. Disgusted at this 
conduct, we determined rather to cut them in pieces 
than suffer these people to possess them; and actually 
began to do so, when they consented to give us sev- 
eral strands of beads for each canoe. 

We had now a sufficient number of horses to carry 
our baggage, and therefore proceeded wholly by land. 
Passing between the hills and the northern shore of 
the river, we had a difficult and fatiguing march over 
a road alternately sandy and rocky. 

The country through which we have passed for 
several days is of uniform character. The hills on 
both sides of the river are about two hundred and 
fifty feet high, in many places presenting a perpen- 
dicular face of black, solid rock. From the top of 
these hills, the country extends, in level plains, to a 
very great distance, and, though not as fertile as 
land near the falls, produces an abundant supply of 
low grass, which is an excellent food for horses. The 
grass must indeed be unusually nutritious : for even 
at this season of the year, after wintering on the dry 
grass of the plains, and being used with greater se- 



SCENERY OF THE RIVER AND SHORES. 223 

verity than is usual among the whites, mau}^ of the 
horses were perfectly fat ; nor had we seen a single 
one that w^as really poor. 

Having proceeded thirty-one miles, w^e halted for 
the night not far from some houses of the Walla- 
Avallas. Soon after stopping, we were joined by seven 
of that tribe, among whom we recognized a chief by 
the name of Yellept, wdio had visited us in October 
last, when we gave him a medal. 

He appeared very much pleased at seeing us again, 
and invited us to remain at his village three or four 
days, during wdiich he would supply us with such 
food as they had, and furnish us with horses for our 
journey. After the cold, inhospitable treatment we 
had lately received, this kind offer was peculiarly 
acceptable. After having made a hasty meal, Ave ac- 
companied him to his village. Immediately on our 
arrival, Yellept, who proved to be a man of much 
influence, collected the inhabitants, and after having 
made an harangue to them, the object of which was to 
induce them to treat us hospitably, set them an exam- 
ple by bringing himself an -armful of wood, and a plat- 
ter containing three roasted mullets. They imme- 
diately followed the example by furnishing us with 
an abundance of the only sort of fuel they use, — the 



224 OREGON. 

stems of shrubs growing in the plains. We then pur. 
chased four dogs, on which we supped heartily, hav- 
ing been on short allowance for two days previously. 

We learned from these people, that, opposite to 
their village, there was a route which led to the 
mouth of the Kooskooskie ; that the road was good, 
and passed over a level country well supplied with 
water and grass ; and that we should meet with 
plenty of deer and antelope. We knew that a road 
in that direction Avould shorten our route eighty 
miles ; and we concluded to adopt this route. 

Fortunately there was among these Walla-wallas a 
prisoner belonging to a tribe of the Shoshonee In- 
dians. Our Shoshonee woman, Sacajaweah, though 
she belonged to another tribe, spoke the same lan- 
guage as this prisoner ; and by their means we were 
enabled to explain ourselves to the Indians, and to 
answer all their inquiries with respect to ourselves 
and the object of our journey. Our conversation 
inspired them with such confidence, that they soon 
brought several sick persons for whom they re- 
quested our assistance. -We splintered the broken 
arm of one, gave some relief to another whose knee 
was contracted by rheumatism, and administered 
what we thought would be useful for ulcers and 



SCENERY OF THE EIVER AND SHORES. 225 

eruptions of the skin on various parts of the body, 
which are very common disorders among tliem. But 
our most valuable medicine. was eye-water, which we 
distributed, and which, indeed, they very much re- 
quired ; for complaints of the eyes, occasioned by 
living so much on the water, and aggravated by 
the fine sand of the plains, were universal among 
them. 

We were by no means dissatisfied at this new 
resource for obtaining subsistence, as the Indians 
would give us no provisions without merchandise, 
and our stock was very much reduced. We carefully 
abstained from giving them any thing but harmless 
medicines ; and our prescriptions might be useful, 
and were therefore entitled to some remuneration. 

May 5. — Almost the only instance of rudeness we 
encountered in our whole trip occurred here. We 
made our dinner on two dogs and a small quantity of 
roots. While we were eating, an Indian standing by, 
and looking with great derision at our eating dog's- 
flesh, threw a half-starved puppy almost into Capt. 
Lewis's plate, laughing heartily at the humor of it. 
Capt. Lewis took up the animal, and flung it back 
with great force into the fellow's face, and, seizing 
his tomahawk, threatened to cut him down if he 

15 



226 OREGON. 

dared to repeat such insolence. He went off, appa- 
rently much mortified ; and we continued our dog- 
repast very quietly. 

Here we met our - old Chopunnish guide and his 
family ; and soon afterward one of our horses, which 
had been separated from the others in the charge of 
Twisted-hair, was caught, and restored to us. 

THE WALLA-WALLA. 

We reached (May 1) a branch of the Walla-walla 
River. The hills of this creek are generally abrupt 
and rocky ; but the narrow bottom bordering the 
stream is very fertile, and both possess twenty 
times as much timber as the Columbia itself. In- 
deed, we now find, for the first time since leaving 
Fort Clatsop, an abundance of fire-wood. The growth 
consists of cotton-wood, birch, the crimson haw, wil- 
low, choke-cherry, yellow currants, gooseberry, honey- 
suckle, rose-bushes, sumac, together with some corn- 
grass and rushes. 

The advantage of a comfortable fire induced us, as 
the night was come, to halt at this place. We were 
soon supplied by Drewyer with a heaver and an 
otter ; of which we took, only a part of the beaver, 
and gave the rest to the Indians. The otter is a 



THE WALLA-WALLA. 227 

favorite food, though much inferior, in our estimation, 
to the dog, which they will not eat. The Iiorse, too, 
is seldom eaten, and never except when absolute 
necessity compels. This fastidiousness does not, how- 
ever, seem to proceed so much from any dislike to 
the food as from attachment to the animal ; for many 
of them eat very freely of the horse-beef we give 
them. 

There is very little difference in the general face 
of the country here from that of the plains on the 
Missouri, except that the latter are enlivened by 
vast herds of buffaloes, elks, and other animals, which 
are wanting here. Over these wide bottoms we con- 
tinued, till, at the distance of twenty-six miles from 
our last encampment, we halted for the night. 

We had scarcely encamped, when three young 
men from the Walla-walla village came in with a 
steel-trap, which we had inadvertently left behind, 
and which they had come a whole day's journey 
on purpose to restore. This act of integrity was 
the more pleasing because it corresponds perfectly 
with the general behavior of the Walla-wallas, among 
whom we had lost carelessly several knives, which 
were always returned as soon as found. We may, 
indeed, justly afiSrm, that, of all the Indians whom we 



228 OREGOX. 

Lave met, the Walla-wallas were the most hospitable, 
honest, and sincere. 

TWISTED-HAIR. 

On Wednesday, the 7th of May, we reached the 
Kooskooskee, and found it much more navigable than 
when we descended it last year. The water was 
risen, and covered the rogks and shoals. Here we 
found the chief, named Twisted-hair, in whose charge 
we had left our horses in our outward journey. We 
had suspicions that our horses, and especially our sad- 
dles, might not be easily recoverable after our long- 
absence. The Twisted-hair was invited to come, and 
smoke with us. He accepted the invitation, and, as 
we smoked our pipes over the fire, informed us, that, 
according to liis promise, he had collected the horses, 
and taken charge of them ; but another chief, the 
Broken-arm, becoming jealous of him because the 
horses were confided to his care, was constantly quar- 
reUing with him. At length, being an old man, and 
unwilling to live in perpetual disputes, he had given 
up the care of the horses, which had consequently 
become scattered. The greater part of them were, 
however, still in this neighborhood. He added, that 
on the rise of the river, in the spring, the earth had 



TWISTED-HAIR. 229 

fallen from the door of the cache, and exposed the 
saddles, some of which had probably been lost ; but, 
as soon as he was acquainted with the situation of 
them, he had had them buried in another place, where 
they were now. He promised that he would, on the 
morrow, send his young men, and collect such of the 
horses as were in the neighborhood. He kept his 
word. Next day, the Indians brought in twenty-one 
of the horses, the greater part of which were in ex- 
cellent order; and the Twisted-hair restored about 
half the saddles we had left in the cache, and some 
powder and lead which were buried at the same 
place. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 



M 



AY 17. — The country along the Rocky Moun- 
tains, for several hundred miles in length and 
fifty in width, is a high level plain ; in all its parts 
extremely fertile, and in many places covered with a 
growth of tall, long-leaved pine. Nearly the whole 
of this wide tract is covered with a profusion of 
grass and plants, which are at this time as high as 
the knee. Among these are a variety of esculent 
plants and roots, yielding a nutritious and agreeable 
food. The air is pure and dry ; the climate as mild 
as that of the same latitudes in the Atlantic States, 
and must be equally healthy, since all the disorders 
which we have witnessed may fairly be imputed to 
other causes than the climate. Of course, the de- 
grees of heat and cold obey the influence of situa- 
tion. Thus the rains of the low grounds are snows 
in the high plains ; and, while the sun shines with 

230 



CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS. 231 

intense heat in the confined river-bottoms, the plains 
enjoy a much cooler air ; and, at the foot of the moun- 
tains, the snows are even now many feet in depth. 

CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS. 

An attempt to cross the mountains in the early 
part of June failed on account of the snow, which 
still covered the track. It was plain we should have 
no chance of finding either grass or underwood for 
our horses. To proceed, therefore, would be to hazard 
the loss of our horses ; in which case, if we should be 
so fortunate as to escape with our lives, we should 
be obliged to abandon our papers and collections. 
It was accordingly decided not to venture farther ; 
to deposit here all the baggage and provisions for 
which we had no immediate use, and to return to 
Bome spot where we might live by hunting till the 
snow should have melted, or a guide be procured to 
conduct us. We submitted, June 17, to the mortifica- 
tion of retracing our steps three days' march. 

On the 24th June, having been so fortunate as to 
engage three Indians to go with us to the falls of the 
Missouri for the compensation of two guns, we set 
out on our second attempt to cross the mountains. 
On reaching the place where we had left our bag- 



232 OREGON. 

gage, we found our deposit perfectly safe. It re- 
quired two hours to arrange our baggage, and pre- 
pare a hasty meal ; after which the guides urged us 
to set off, us we had a long ride to make before we 
could reach a spot Avhere there was grass for our 
horses. We mounted, and followed their steps ; some- 
times crossed abruptly steep hills, and then wound 
along their sides, near tremendous precipices, where, 
had our horses slipped, we should have been irrecov- 
erably lost. Our route lay along the ridges which 
separate the waters of the Kooskooskie and Chopun- 
nish, and above the heads of all the streams ; so that 
we met no running water. Late in the evening, we 
reached a spot where we encamped near a good 
spring of water. It was on the steep side of a moun- 
tain, with no wood, and a fair southern aspect, from 
which the snow seemed to have disappeared for about 
ten days, and an abundant growth of young grass, like 
greensward, had sprung up. There was also a species 
of grass not unlike flag, with a broad succulent leaf, 
which is confined to the upper parts of the moun- 
tains. It is a favorite food with the horses ; but it 
was then either covered with snow, or just making 
its appearance. 

June 27. — We continued our route over the high 



CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS. 233 

and steep ihlls of the same great ridge. At eight 
miles' distance, we reached an eminence where the 
Indians have raised a conical mound of stone six or 
eight feet high. From this spot we have a command- 
ing view of the surrounding mountains, which so 
completely enclose us, that, although we have once 
passed them, we should despair of ever escaping from 
them without the assistance of the Indians ; but our 
guides traverse this trackless region with a kind of 
instinctive sagacity. They never hesitate ; they are 
never embarrassed ; yet so undeviating is their step, 
that, wherever the snow has disappeared for even a 
hundred paces, we find the summer road. With their 
aid, the snow is scarcely a disadvantage; for although 
we are often obliged to slide' down, yet the fallen 
timber and the rocks, which are now covered up, 
were much more troublesome" when we passed in the 
autumn. 

NOTE. 

A later traveller through this region writes, " The moun- 
tains are indeed rochy. They are rocks heaped upon rocks, 
with no vegetation, excepting a few cedars growing out of the 
crevices near their base. Their tops are covered with perpetual 
snow. The main ridge of the mountains is oi gneiss rock; yet, 
to-day, parallel ridges of a rock, nearly allied to basalt, have 
abounded. These ridges appear to be volcanic, forced up in 



234 OREGON. 

m 

THE PARTY AGREE TO SEPARATE. 

July 3, 1806. — It was agreed here that the expe- 
dition should be divided, to unite again at the con- 
fluence of the Missouri and the Yellowstone. The 
separation took place near the point where Clarke's 
River is crossed by the forty-seventh parallel of lati- 
tude. Capt. Lewis, with nine men, was to cross the 
mountains in a direction as nearly due east as possi- 
ble, expecting to find some tributary of the Missouri, 
by following which he might reach that river, and by 
it retrace his way homeward. Capt. Clarke, with the 
remainder of the party, was to seek the head waters 
of the Yellowstone, and follow that stream to the 
proposed place of re-union. 

In conformity with this arrangement, Capt. Lewis, 
under the guidance of friendly Indians, crossed the 
mountains by a route which led him, after travelling 

dihes at different distances from each other, running from east- 
north-east to west-south-west. The strata are mostly vertical ; 
but some are a little dipped to the south. 

" Our encampment was near a small stream which runs 
through a volcanic chasm, which is more than a hundred feet 
deep, with perpendicular sides. Here was a passage made for 
the water by fire.'''' 



CONFLICT WITH THE mDIANS. 235 

one hundred and four miles, to Medicine River, and 
by that river to the Missouri. He reached the falls 
of the Missouri on the 17th of July, and leaving 
there a portion of his party, under Sfergt. Gass, to 
make preparations for transporting their baggage 
and canoes round the falls, set out, accompanied 
by Drewyer and the two brothers Fields, with six 
horses, to explore Maria's River, to ascertain its ex- 
tent toward the north. From the 18th to the 26th, 
they were engaged in this exploration. On the eve 
of their return, an event occurred, which, being the 
only instance in which the expedition was engaged 
in any conflict with the Indians with loss of life, 
requires to be particularly related. 

CONFLICT WITH THE INDIANS. 

We were passing through a region frequented by 
the Minnetarees, a band of Indians noted for their 
thievish « propensities and unfriendly dispositions. 
Capt. Lewis was therefore desirous to avoid meet- 
ing with them. Drewyer had been sent out for 
game, and Capt. Lewis ascended a hill to look over 
the country. Scarcely had he reached the top, when 
he saw, about a mile on his left, a collection of about 
thirty horses. By the aid of his spy-glass, he discov- 



236 OREGON. 

pred that one-half of the horses Avere saddled, and 
that, on the eminence above the horses, several In- 
dians were looking down towards the river, proba- 
bly at Drewyer. This was a most unwelcome sight. 
Their probable numbers rendered any contest with 
them of doubtful issue. To attempt to escape would 
only invite pursuit; and our horses were so bad, that 
we must certainly be overtaken : besides which, 
Drewyer could not yet be aware that Indians were 
near; and, if we ran, he would most probably be sacri- 
ficed. We therefore determined to make the best of 
our situation, and advance towards them in a friendly 
manner. The flag which we had brought in case of 
such an emergency was therefore displayed, and we 
continued slowly our march towards them. Their 
whole attention was so engaged by Drewyer, that they 
did not immediately discover us. As soon as they did 
so, they appeared to be much alarmed, and ran about 
in confusion. When we came within a quarter of a 
mile, one of the Indians mounted, and rode towards 
us. When within a hundred paces of us, he halted ; 
and Capt. Lewis, who had alighted to receive him, 
held out his hand, and beckoned him to approach : 
but he only looked at us, and then, without saying a 
word, returned to his companions. 



CONFLICT WITH THE INDIANS. 237 

The whole party now descended the hill, and rode 
towards us. As yet we saw only eight, but presumed 
that there must be more behind, as there were sev- 
eral more horses saddled. Capt. Lewis had with him 
but two men ; and he told them his fears that these 
were Indians of the Minnetaree tribe, and that they 
would attempt to rob us, and advised them to be 
on the alert, should there appear any disposition to 
attack us. 

When the two parties came within a hundred yards 
of each other, all the Indians, except one, halted. 
Capt. Lewis therefore ordered his two men to halt, 
while he advanced, and, after shaking hands with the 
Indian, went on and did the same with the others in 
the rear, while the Indian himself shook hands with our 
two men. They all now came up; and, after alighting, 
the Indians asked to smoke with us. Capt. Lewis, who 
was very anxious for Drewyer's safety, told them that 
the man who had gone down the river had the pipe, 
and requested, that, as they had seen him, one of 
them would accompany R. Fields to bring him back. 
To this they assented ; and Fields went with a young- 
man in search of Drewyer, who returned with them. 

As it was growing late, Capt. Lewis proposed that 
they should encamp with us ; for lie was glad to see 



238 OREGON. 

them, and had a great deal to say to them. They 
assented ; and, being soon joined by Drewyer, the 
evening was spent in conversation with the Indians, 
in which Capt. Lewis endeavored to persuade them 
to cultivate peace with their neighbors. Finding 
them very fond of the pipe, Capt. Lewis, who was 
desirous of keeping a constant watch during the 
night, smoked with them to a late hour ; and, as soon as 
they were all asleep, he woke R. Fields, and ordering 
him to rouse us all in case any Indian left the camp, 
as he feared they would attempt to steal our horses, 
he lay down by the side of Drewyer in the tent 
with the Indians, while the brothers Fields were 
stretched near the fire at the mouth of the tent. 

At sunrise, the Indians got up, and crowded round 
the fire, near which J. Fields, who was then on 
watch, had carelessly left his rifle, near the head of 
his brother, who was asleep. One of the Indians 
slipped behind him, and, unperceived, took his broth- 
er's and his own rifle ; while at the same time two 
others seized those of Drewyer and Capt. Lewis. As 
soon as Fields turned round, he saw the Indian run- 
ning off" with the rifles ; and, instantly calling his 
brother, they pursued him for fifty or sixty yards ; 
and just as they overtook him, in the scuffle for the 



CONFLICT WITH THE INDIANS. 239 

rifles, R. Fields stabbed him through the heart with 
his knife. The Indian ran a few steps, and fell dead. 
They recovered their rifles, and ran back to the camp. 

The moment the fellow touched his gun, Drewyer, 
who was awake, jumped up, and wrested it from him. 
The noise awoke Capt. Lewis, who instantly started 
from the ground, and reached to seize his gun, but 
found it gone, and, turning about, saw the Indian 
running off* with it. He followed, and called to him 
to lay down the gun ; which he did. By this time, 
the rest of the Indians were endeavoring to drive off" 
our horses ; and Capt. Lewis ordered his men to fol- 
low them, and fire upon the thieves if they did not 
release our horses. The result was, that we recov- 
ered four of our horses, and as many of theirs which 
they had left behind ; so that we were rather gainers 
by the contest. Besides the Indian killed by Fields, 
one other was badly wounded. 

We had no doubt but that we should be imme- 
diately pursued by a much larger party. Our only 
chance of safety was in rejoining our friends, who 
were many miles distant. We therefore pushed 
our horses as fast as we could ; and, fortunately 
for us, the Indian horses proved very good. The 
plains were level, free from stones and prickly- 



240 OREGON. 

pears, and in fine order for travelling over from the 
late rains. We commenced our ride in the early 
morning. At three o'clock, we had ridden, by esti- 
mate, sixty-three miles. We halted for an hour and a 
half to refresh our horses ; then pursued our journey 
seventeen miles farther, when, as night came on, we 
killed a buffalo, and again stopped for two hours. 
The sky was now overclouded ; but, as the moon 
gave light enough to show us the route, we contin- 
ued for twenty miles farther, and then, exhausted 
with fatigue, halted at two in the morning. Next day, 
we rejoined the main body of our party in safety. 

Capt. Lewis with his companions pursued their 
way down the Missouri, passing those points already 
noticed in their ascent. Our narrative, therefore, 
will leave them here, and attend the course of Capt. 
Clarke and his party down the Yellowstone. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

CAPT. CLARKE'S ROUTE DOWN THE YELLOWSTONE. 

XULY 3, 1806. — The party under Capt. Clarke, 
consisting of fifteen men, with fifty horses, set 
out through the valley of Clarke's River, along the 
western side of which they rode in a southern direc- 
tion. The valley is from ten to fifteen miles in width, 
and is diversified by a number of small open plains, 
abounding with grass and a variety of sweet-scented 
plants, and watered by numerous streams rushing 
from the western mountains. These mountains were 
covered with snow about one-fifth of the way from 
the top ; and some snow was still to be seen in the 
hollows of the mountains to the eastward. 

July 7. — They reached Wisdom River, and stopped 
for dinner at a hot spring situated in the open plain. 
The bed of the spring is about fifteen yards in cir- 
cumference, and composed of loose, hard, gritty 
stones, through which the water boils in large quan- 

16 241 



242 OREGON. 

tities. It is slightly impregnated with sulphur, and 
so hot, that a piece of meat, about the size of three fin- 
gers, was completely cooked in twenty-five minutes. 

July 8. — They arrived at Jefferson's River, where 
they had deposited their goods in the month of Au- 
gust the year before. They found every thing safe, 
though some of the goods were a little damp, and 
one of the canoes had a hole in it. They had now 
crossed from Traveller's-Rest Creek to the head of Jef- 
ferson's River, which seems to form the best and short- 
est route over the mountains during almost the whole 
distance of one hundred and sixty-four miles. It is, 
in fact, an excellent road ; and, by cutting down a few 
trees, it might be rendered a good route for wagons, 
with the exception of about four miles over one of 
the mountains, which would require a little levelling. 

July 10. — The boats were now loaded, and Capt. 
Clarke divided his men into two bands. Sergt. Ord- 
way, with nine men, in six canoes, was to descend 
the river ; while Capt. Clarke, with the remaining 
ten, the wife and child of Chaboneau, and fifty horses, 
were to proceed by land to the Yellowstone. The 
latter party set out at five in the afternoon from 
the forks of the Missouri, in a direction nearly east. 
The plain was intersected by several great roads 



CLARKE'S ROUTE DOWN THE YELLOWSTONE. 243 

leading to a gap in the mountain about twenty miles 
distant, in a direction east-north-east ; but the Indian 
woman, who was acquainted with the country, recom- 
mended another gap more to the south, through which 
Capt. Clarke determined to proceed. 

They started early the next morning, and, pursuing 
the route recommended by the squaw, encamped in 
the evening at the entrance of the gap mentioned by 
her. Through this gap they passed next day, and, 
at the distance of six miles, reached the top of the 
dividing ridge which separate^ the waters of the Mis- 
souri from those of the Yellowstone. Nine miles 
from the summit, they reached the Yellowstone itself, 
about a mile and a half below where it issues from 
the Rocky Mountains. The distance from the head 
of the Missouri to this place is forty-eight miles, the 
greater part of which is through a level plain. They 
halted for three hours to rest their horses, and then 
pursued the Buffalo Road along the banks of the 
river. 

Although but just emerging from a high, snowy 
mountain, the Yellowstone is here a bold, rapid, and 
deep stream, one hundred and twenty yards in width. 
They continued their course along the river till the 
23d, when the party embarked on board of two ca- 



244 OREGON. 

noes, each of which was twenty-eight feet long, six- 
teen or eighteen inches deep, and from sixteen to 
twenty-four inches wide. Sergt. Prior, with two men, 
was directed to take the horses to the Mandans for 
safe keeping until the re-union of the expedition. 

July 24. — At eight o'clock, Capt. Clarke and the 
remainder of his party embarked, and proceeded very 
steadily down the river. They passed the mouths of 
several large rivers emptying into the Yellowstone ; 
one of which was called the Big-horn, from the num- 
bers of that remarkalje species of sheep seen in its 
neighborhood. Next day, Capt. Clarke landed to ex- 
amine a curious rock, situated in an extensive bottom 
on the right, about two hundred and fifty paces from 
the shore. It is nearly two hundred paces in circumfer- 
ence, two hundred feet high, and accessible only from 
the north-east ; the other sides consisting of perpen- 
dicular cliffs, of a light-colored, gritty stone. The 
soil on the summit is five or six feet deep, of a good 
quality, and covered with short grass. From this 
height, the eye ranges over a wide extent of varie- 
gated country. On the south-west are the Rocky 
Mountains, covered with snow ; on the north, a lower 
range, called the Little Wolf Mountains. The low 
grounds of the river extend nearly six miles to* the 



BEAVERS, BUFFALOES, MOSQUITOES. 245 

southward, when they rise into plains, reaching to 
the mountains. The north side of the river is bound- 
ed by jutting, romantic cliffs, beyond which the plains 
are open and extensive, and the whole country enli- 
vened by herds of buffaloes, elks, and wolves. After 
enjoying the prospect from this rock, to which Capt. 
Clarke gave the name of Pompey's Pillar, he de- 
scended, and continued his route. At the distance 
of six or seven miles, he stopped to secure two big- 
horns, which had been shot from the boat, and, while 
on shore, saw in the face of the cliff, about twenty 
feet above the water, a fragment of the rib of a fish, 
three feet long, and nearly three inches round, em- 
bedded in the rock itself. 

BEAVERS, BUFFALOES, MOSQUITOES. 

The beavers were in great numbers along the 
banks of the river, and through the night were flap- 
ping their tails in the water round the boats. 

Aug. 1. — The buffaloes appeared in vast numbers. 
A herd happened to be on their way across the river. 
Such was the multitude of these animals, that al- 
though the river, including an island over which 
they passed, was a mile in width, the herd stretched, 
as thick as they could swim, completely from one 



246 OREGON. 

side to the other. Our party, descending the river, 
was obhged to stop for an hour to let the procession 
pass. We consoled ourselves for the delay by killing 
four of the herd, and then proceeded, till, at the dis- 
tance of forty-five miles, two other herds of buffaloes, 
as numerous as the first, crossed the river in like 
manner. 

Aug. 4. — The camp became absolutely uninhabita- 
ble, in consequence of the multitude of mosquitoes. 
The men could not work in preparing skins for cloth- 
ing, nor hunt in the low grounds : in short, there was 
no mode of escape, except by going on the sandbars 
in the river, where, if the wind should blow, the 
insects do not venture. But when there is no wind, 
and particularly at night, when the men have no cov- 
ering except their worn-out blankets, the pain they 
inflict is scarcely to be endured. 

On one occasion, Capt. Clarke went on shore, and 
ascended a hill after one of the big-horns ; but the 
mosquitoes were in such multitudes, that he could not 
keep them from the barrel of his rifle long enough to 
take aim. 

This annoyance continued, till, on the 11th of Sep- 
tember, they write, " We are no longer troubled with 
mosquitoes, which do not seem to frequent this part 



PARTING WITH COMPANIONS. 247 

of the river ; and, after having been persecuted with 
them during the whole route from the falls, it is a 
most happy exemption. Their noise was very agree- 
ably exchanged for that of the wolves, which were 
howling in various directions all round us. 

Aug. 12, 1806. — The party continued to descend 
the river. One of their canoes had, by accident, a 
small hole made in it ; and they halted for the purpose 
of covering it with a piece of elk-skin. While there, 
about noon, they were overjoyed at seeing the boats 
of Capt. Lewis's party heave in sight. The whole 
expedition being now happily re-united, at about 
three o'clock all embarked on board the boats; but 
as the wind was high, accompanied with rain, we did 
not proceed far before we halted for the night. 

THEY PART WITH SOME OF THEIR COMPANIONS. 

On the 14th August, having now reached a part of 
the river where we occasionally met the boats of ad- 
venturous traders ascending the river, Capt. Lewis 
was applied to by one of the men, Colter, who was 
desirous of joining two trappers, who proposed to 
him to accompany them, and §hare their profits. The 
offer was an advantageous one; and as he had always 
performed his duty, and his services might be dis- 



248 OREGON. 

pensed with, Capt. Lewis consented to his going, pro- 
vided none of the rest would ask or expect a similar 
indulgence. To this they cheerfully answered, that 
they wished Colter every success, and would not 
apply for a discharge before we reached St. Louis. 
We therefore supplied him, as did his comrades also, 
with powder and lead, and a variety of articles which 
might be useful to him ; and he left us the next day. 

The example of this man shows how easily men 
may be weaned from the habits of civilized life, and 
brought to relish the manners of the woods. This 
hunter had now been absent many years from his 
country, and might naturally be presumed to have 
some desire to return to his native seats ; yet, just at 
the moment when he is approaching the frontiers, he 
is tempted by a hunting-scheme to go back to the 
solitude of the woods. 

A few days after this, Chaboneau, with his wife 
and child, concluded to follow us no longer, as he 
could bo no longer useful to us. We offered to take 
him with us to the United States ; but he said that he 
had there no acquaintance, and preferred remaining 
among the Indians. This man has been very ser- 
viceable to us, and his wife particularly so, among 
the Shoshonees. She has borne with a patience truly 



THEY REACH HOME. 249 

admirable the fatigues of our long journey, encum- 
bered with the charge of an infant, which is now 
only nineteen months old. We paid him his wages, 
amounting to five hundred dollars and thirty-three 
cents, including the price of a horse and a lodge pur- 
chased of him, and pursued our journey without him. 

THEY REACH HOME. 

Sept. 8, 1806. — We reached Council Bluffs, and 
stopped for a short time to examine the situation of 
the place, and were confirmed in our belief that it 
would be a very eligible spot for a trading establish- 
ment.* Being anxious to reach the junction of the 
Platte River, we plied our oars so well, that by night 
we had made seventy-eight miles, and landed at our 
old encampment, on the ascent, twelve miles above 
tliat river. We had here occasion to remark the 
wonderful evaporation from the Missouri. The river 
does not appear to contain more water, nor is its 
channel wider, than at the distance of one thousand 
miles nearer its source, although within that space 
it receives about twenty rivers (some of them of 
considerable width), and a great number of smaller 
streams. 

* Now the site of Omaha City. 



250 _ OREOON. 

A few days more brought us to the mouth of the 
Kansas River. About a mile below it, we landed to 
view the country. The low grounds are delightful, 
the whole country exhibiting a rich appearance ; but 
the weather was oppressively warm. Descending as 
we had done from a high, open country, between the 
latitudes of forty-six and forty-nine degrees, to the 
wooded plains in thirty-eight and thirty-nine degrees, 
the heat would have been intolerable, had it not been 
for the constant winds from the south and the south- 
west. 

On the 20th September, we reached the mouth of 
Osage River. A few miles lower down, we saw on 
the banks some cows feeding; and the whole party 
involuntarily raised a shout of joy at the sight of this 
evidence of civilization and domestic life. 

We soon after reached the little French village of 
La Charette, which we saluted with a discharge of 
four guns and three hearty cheers. We landed, and 
were received with kindness by the inhabitants, as 
well as by some traders who were on their way to 
traffic with the Qsages. They were all surprised and 
pleased at our arrival ; for they had long since aban- 
doned all hopes of ever seeing us return. 

The third day after this, — viz., on Tuesday, the 234 



CONCLUSION. 251 

of September, 1806, — wo arrived at St. Louis, and, 
having fired a salute, went on shore, and received 
tlie heartiest and most hospitable welcome from the 
whole village. 

CONCLUSION. 

The successful termination of the expedition was a 
source of surprise and delight to the whole country. 
The humblest of its citizens had taken a lively inter- 
est in the issue of this journey, and looked forward 
with impatience for the information it would furnish. 
Their anxieties, too, for the safety of the part}", had 
been kept in a state of excitement by lugubrious 
rumors, circulated from time to time on uncertain 
authorities, and uncontradicted by letters or other 
direct information, from the time when the party left 
the Mandan towns, on their ascent up the river, in 
1804, until their actual return to St. Louis. 

The courage, perseverance, and discretion dis- 
played by the commanders, and the fidelity and 
obedience of the m&n, were the theme of general 
approbation, and received the favorable notice of 
Government. A donation of lands was made to each 
member of the party ; Capt. Lewis was appointed 
Governor q^ Louisiana, which, at that time, embraced 



252 OREGON. 

the whole country west of the Mississippi, within the 
boundaries of the United States ; and Capt. Clarke 
was made Superintendent of Indian AflFairs. 

It was not until some years after, however, that 
the world was put in possession of the detailed his- 
tory of the expedition. Capt. Lewis, in the midst of 
other cares, devoted what time he could to the prepa- 
ration of his journals for publication, and, in 1809, was 
on his way to Philadelphia for that purpose, but, at 
a village in Tennessee, was taken ill, and prevented 
from proceeding. Here the energetic mind, which 
had encountered so unfalteringly the perils and suf- 
ferings of the desert, gave way. Constitutional de- 
spondency overcame him : it is probable he lost his 
reason ; for, in a rash moment, he applied a pistol to 
his head, and destroyed his life. His journals were 
published under the charge of Paul Allen of Phila- 
delphia. 



ELDOEADO. 



ELDORADO. 



di^o* 



CHAPTER I. 

THE DISCOVEEY. 

TTTHAT is meant by Eldorado ? Is there such a 
country? and, if there be, where is it? The 
name literally means " The Golden Country," and 
was given to an unknown region in South America 
by the Spaniards, who had heard from the Indians 
marvellous tales of such a land lying in the interior 
of the continent, where gold and precious stones 
were as common as rocks and pebbles in other coun- 
tries, and to be had for the trouble of picking them 
up. It was also a land of spices and aromatic gums. 
The first notion of this favored region was communi- 
cated by an Indian chief to Gonzalo Pizarro, brother 
of the conqueror of Peru, whose imagination was cap- 
tivated by the account, and his ambition fired with a 
desire to add this, which promised to be the most bril- 

255 



256 ELDORADO. 

liant of all, to the discoveries and conquests of his 
countrymen. He found no difficulty in awakening a 
kindred enthusiasm in tlje bosoms of his followers. 
In a short time, he mustered three hundred and fifty 
Spaniards, and four thousand Indians. One hundred 
and fifty of his company were mounted. The Indians 
were to carry the baggage and provisions, and per- 
form the labors of the expedition. 

'A glance at the map of South America will give 
us a clear idea of the scene of the expedition. The 
River Amazon, the largest river of the globe, rises in 
V the highest ranges of the Andes, and flows from west 
to east through nearly the whole breadth of the conti- 
nent. Pizarro's expedition started in the year 1540 
from Quito, near the sources of the great river, and, 
marching east, soon became entangled in the deep 
and intricate passes of the mountains. As they rose 
into the more elevated regions, the icy winds that 
swept down the sides of the Cordilleras benumbed 
their limbs, and many of the natives found a wintry 
grave in the wilderness. On descending the eastern 
slope, the climate changed ; and, as they came to a 
lower level, the fierce cold was succeeded by a sufib- 
cating heat, while tempests of thunder and lightning 
poured on them with scarcely any intermission day 



THE DISCOVERY. 2|»7 

or night. For more than six weeks, the deluge con- 
tinued unabated ; and the forlorn wanderers, wet, and 
weary with incessant toil, were scarcely able to drag 
their limbs along the soil, broken up as it was, and 
saturated with the moisture. After months of toil- 
some travel, they reached the region where grew the 
spice-trees. Their produce resembled the cinnamon 
of the East in taste, but was of inferior quality. They 
saw the trees bearing the precious bark spreading out 
into broad forests ; yet, however valuable it might be 
for future commerce, it was of but little worth to them. 
But, from the savages whom they occasionally met, 
they learned, that at ten days' distance was a rich 
and fruitful land, abounding with gold, and inhabited 
by populous nations. The Spaniards were so con- 
vinced of the existence of such a country, that if the 
natives, on being questioned, professed their igno- 
rance of it, they were supposed to be desirous of 
concealing the fact, and were put to the most horri- 
ble tortures, and even burnt alive, to compel them to 
confess. It is no wonder, therefore, if they told, in 
many instances, such stories as the Spaniards wished 
to hear, which would also have the eflfect of ridding 
their own territories of their troublesome guests by 
inducing them to advance farther. Pizarro had al- 

17 



248 ELDORADO. 

ready reached the L'mit originally proposed for the 
expedition ; but these accounts induced him to con- 
tinue on. 

As they advanced, the country spread out into 
broad plains, terminated by forests, which seemed to 
stretch on every side as far as the eye could reach. 
The wood was thickly matted with creepers and 
climbing plants, and at every step of the way they 
had to hew open a passage with their axes ; while 
their garments, rotting from the eflfccts of the drench- 
ing rains, caught in every bush, and hung about them 
in shreds. Their provisions failed, and they had only 
for sustenance such herbs and roots as they could 
gather in the forest, and such wild animals as, with 
their inadequate means, they could capture. 

At length they came to a broad expanse of water, 
from whence flowed a stream, — one of those which 
discharge their Avaters into the great River Amazon. 
The sight gladdened their hearts, as they hoped to 
find a safer and more practicable route by keeping 
along its banks. After following the stream a con- 
siderable distance, the party came within hearing of 
a rushing noise, that seemed like thunder issuing 
from the bowels of the earth. Tbe^ river tumbled 
along over rapids with frightful velocity, and then 



THE DISCOVERY. 259 

discharged itself in a magnificent cataract, which 
they describe as twelve hundred feet high. Doubt- 
less this estimate must be taken with some allowance 
for the excited feelings of the Spaniards, keenly alive 
to impressions of the sublime and the terrible. 

For some distance above and below the falls, the 
bed of the river contracted ; so that its width did not 
exceed twenty feet. They determined to cross, in 
hopes of finding a country that might afford them 
better sustenance. A frail bridge was constructed 
by throwing trunks of trees across the chasm, where 
the clifis, as if split asunder by some convulsion of 
Nature, descended sheer down a perpendicular depth 
of several hundred feet. Over this airy causeway, 
the men and horses succeeded in eff'ecting their pas- 
sage ; though one Spaniard, made giddy by heedlessly 
looking down, lost his footing, and fell into the boiling 
surges below. They gained little by the exchange. 
The country wore the same unpromising aspect : the 
Indians whom they occasionally met in the pathless 
wilderness were fierce and unfriendly, and the Span- 
iards were engaged in perpetual conflict with them. 
From these they learned that a fruitful country was 
to be found down the river, at the distance of only a 
few days' journey ; and the Spaniards held on their 



260 ELDORADO. 

weary way, still hoping, and still deceived, as the 
promised land flitted before them, like the rainbow, 
receding as they advanced. 

At length, spent with toil and suffering, Pizarro 
resolved to construct a bark large enough to trans- 
port the weaker part of his company and his bag- 
gage. The forests furnished him with timber ; the 
shoes of the horses, which had died on the road, or 
been slaughtered for food, were converted into nails ; 
gum, distilled from the trees, took the place of pitch ; 
and the tattered garments of the soldiers served for 
oakum. At the end of two months, the vessel was 
ready, and the command given to Francisco Orellana. 
The troops now moved forward through the wilder- 
ness, following the course of the river; the vessel 
carrying the feebler soldiers. Every scrap of pro- 
visions had long since been consumed. The last of 
their horses had been devoured ; and they greedily 
fed upon toads, serpents, and even insects, which that 
country, teeming with the lower forms of animal life, 
abundantly supplied. 

The natives still told of a rich district, inhabited by 
a populous nation. It was, as usual, at the distance of 
several days' journey ; and Pizarro resolved to halt 
where he was, and send Orellana down in his brigau- 



THE DISCOVERY. 261 

tine to procure a stock of provisions, with which he 
might return, and put the main body in condition to 
resume their march. Orellana, with fifty of the ad- 
venturers, pushed off into the middle of the river, 
where the stream ran swiftly; and his bark, taken 
by the current, shot forward as with the speed of an 
arrow, and was soon out of sight. 

Days and weeks passed away, yet the vessel did 
not return ; and no speck was to be seen on the 
waters as the Spaniards strained their eyes to the 
farthest point, till the banks closed in, and shut 
the view. Detachments were sent out, and, though 
absent several days, came back without intelligence 
of their comrades. Weary of suspense, Pizarro de- 
termined to continue their march down the river,, 
which they did, with incredible suffering, for two 
months longer, till their doubts were dispelled by 
the appearance of a white man, wandering, half naked, 
in the woods, in whose famine-stricken countenance 
they recognized the features of one of their country- 
men. Orellana had passed swiftly down the river to 
the point of its confluence with the Amazon, where 
he had been led to expect that he should find sup- 
plies for the wants of himself and his companions, 
but found none. Nor was it possible to return as he 



262 ELDORADO. 

had come, and make head against the current of the 
river. In this dilemma, a thought flashed across his 
mind : it was, to leave the party under Pizarro to 
their fate, and to pursue his course down the great 
river on which he had entered ; to explore Eldorado 
for himself, and make the best of his way home to 
Spain to claim the glory and reward of discovery. 
His reckless companions readily consented to this 
course, with the exception of the individual whom 
Pizarro found ; and him, when he remonstrated, they 
put ashore, and left to shift for himself 

Pizarro and his party, deserted in the wilderness, 
unable to advance farther, had no alternative but to 
remain, or retrace their miserable way to Quito, the 
place they had started from more than a year before. 
They chose the latter, and commenced their return 
march with heavy hearts. They took a more north- 
erly route than that by which they had approached 
the Amazon ; and, though it was attended with fewer 
difficulties, they experienced yet greater distresses, 
from their greater inability to overcome them. Their 
only food was such scanty fare as they could pick up 
in the forest, or happily meet with in some forsaken 
Indian settlement, or wring by violence from the 
natives. Some sickened and sank down by the way, 



THE DISCOVERY. 263 

and perished where they fell ; for there was none to 
help them. Intense misery had made them selfish ; 
and many a poor wretch was abandoned to his fate, to 
die alone in the wilderness, or, more probably, to be 
devoured, while living, by the wild animals which 
roamed over it. 

It took them a'year to measure back their way to 
Quito ; and the miseries they had endured were testi- 
fied to by their appearance when they arrived, in 
sadly reduced numbers, at the place of their starting. 
Their horses gone, their arms broken and rusted, the 
skins of wild animals their only clothes, their long 
and matted locks streaming wildly down their shoul- 
ders, their faces blackened by the tropical sun, their 
bodies wasted by famine and disfigured by scars, it 
seemed as if the charnel-house had given up its dead, 
as, with unsteady step, they crept slowly onwards. 
More than half of the four thousand Indians who Jiad 
accompanied the expedition had perished ; and of tbe 
Spaniards, only eighty, and many of these irretrieva- 
bly broken in constitution, found their way back to 
Quito. 

Meanwhile, Orellana glided down the stream, which 
then was nameless and unknown, but which has since 
been called by his name, though it is more generally 



264 -- ELDORADO. 

known by a name derived from a story which Orellana 
told, in his account of his voyage, of a nation of Ama- 
zons inhabiting its banks. But an account of Orel- 
lana's adventures must be reserved for our next 
chapter. 



CHAPTER II. 

ORELLANA DESCENDS THE RIVER. 

TTTHEN Orellana, in his ill-appointed bark, and 
with his crew enfeebled by famine, had 
reached the junction of the River Napo with the Am- 
azon, and found no sources of supply which he had 
been led to expect, he had no difficulty in satisfying 
his companions that their only chance of preservation 
was in continuing their descent of the river, and leav- 
ing the party under Pizarro to their fate. He then 
formally renounced the commission which Pizarro had 
given him, and received the command anew from the 
election of his men, that so he might make discove- 
ries for himself, and not, holding a deputed authority, 
in the name of another. It was upon the last day of 
December, 1541, that this voyage was begun, — one of 
the most adventurous that has ever been undertaken. 
The little stock of provisions with which they had 
parted from the army was already exhausted, and they 

265 



266 ELDORADO. 

boiled their leathern girdles and the leather of their 
shoes with such herbs as seemed most likely to be 
nourishing and harmless ; for it was only by experi- 
ment that they were able to distinguish the whole- 
some from the poisonous. On the 8th of January, 
being reduced almost to the last extremity with hun- 
ger, they heard before daylight an Indian drum, — 
a joyful sound ; for be the natives what they would, 
friendly or hostile, this they knew; that it must be 
their own fault now if they should die of hunger. At 
daybreak, being eagerly upon the lookout, they per- 
ceived four canoes, which put back upon seeing the 
brigantine ; and presently they saw a village where 
a great body of the natives were assembled, and ap- 
peared ready to defend it. The Spaniards were too 
hungry to negotiate. Orellana bade them land in 
good order, and stand by each other. They attacked 
the Indians like men who were famishing, and fought 
for food, put them speedily to the rout, and found an 
immediate supply. While they were enjoying the 
fruits of their victory, the Indians came near them, 
more to gratify curiosity than resentment. Orellana 
spoke to them in some Indian language which they 
partly understood. Some of them took courage, and 
approached him. He gave them a few European 



ORELLANA DESCENDS THE RIVER. 267 

trifles, and asked for their chief, who came without 
hesitation, was well pleased with the presents which 
were given him, and offered them any thing which it 
was in his power to supply. Provisions were re- 
quested ; and presently peacocks, partridges, fish, and 
other things, were brought in great abundance. The 
next day, thirteen chiefs came to see the strangers. 
They were gayly adorned with feathers and gold, and 
had plates of gold upon the breast. Orellana received 
them courteously, required them to acknowledge 
obedience to the crown of Castile, took advantage as 
usual of their ignorance to aflSrm that they consented, 
and took possession of their country in the emperor's 
name. 

Such is Orellana's own account of this first inter- 
view. It was his object to create a high idea of the 
riches of the provinces which he had discovered. It 
is not probable that these tribes had any gold ; for 
later discoveries showed that none of the tribes on the 
Amazon were so far advanced as to use it. It was 
here that they heard the first accounts of the rich and 
powerful nation composed wholly of women, whom, 
in recollection of the female warriors of classic anti- 
quity, they called the Amazons. Here the Spaniards 
built a better brigantine than the frail one in which 



268 ELDORADO. 

they were embarked. All fell to work, Orellana being 
the first at any exertion that was required. They 
calked it with cotton; the natives supplied pitch; 
and in thirty-five days the vessel was launched. On 
the 24th of April, they once more embarked. For 
eighty leagues, the banks were peopled with friendly 
tribes ; then the course of the river lay between des- 
ert mountains, and they were fain to feed upon herbs 
and parched corn, not even finding a place where 
they could fish. 

Thus far they seem to have found the natives 
friendly, or not actively hostile ; but, as they descend- 
ed, they came to a populous province, belonging to a 
chief called Omagua, if, as is conjectured, that is not 
rather the name of the tribe itself than of their chief. 
One morning, a fleet of canoes was seen advancing 
with hostile demonstrations. The Indians carried 
shields made of the skins of the alligator. They came 
on with beat of tambour and with war-cries, threaten- 
ing to devour the strangers. The Spaniards brought 
their two vessels close together, that they might aid 
one another in the defence. But, when they came to 
use their powder, it was damp, and they had nothing 
but their cross-bows to trust to ; and, plying these as 
well as they could, they continued to fall down the 



ORELLANA DESCENDS THE RIVER. 269 

stream, fighting as they went. Presently they came 
to an Indian town. Half the Spaniards landed to 
attack it, leaving their companions to maintain the 
fight upon the water. 

They won the town, and loaded themselves with 
provisions ; but eighteen of the party were wounded, 
and one killed. They had neither surgeon nor any 
remedy for the wounded. Nothing could be done for 
them except '' psalming ; " that is, repeating some 
verses of the psalms over the wound. This mode of 
treatment was not unusual ; and, as it was less absurd 
than the methods which were ordinarily in use at that 
day, it is no wonder if it proved more successful. 

For two days and two nights after this, they were 
constantly annoyed by the canoes of the natives fol- 
lowing, and endeavoring to board them. But the 
Spaniards had now dried some powder ; and one of 
them, getting a steady mark at the chief of the Indi- 
ans, shot him in the bi-east. His people gathered 
round him ; and, while they were thus occupied, the 
brigantines shot ahead. 

Thus they proceeded with alternate good and evil 
fortune, now finding the Indians friendly, and supplies 
of provisions abundant ; and then encountering hostile 
tribes which assailed them with all their power, or 



270 ELDORADO. 

long regions of unpeopled country, where they were 
reduced to the utmost straits for want of food. Six 
months had now been consumed on their voyage, and 
as yet no appearance of Eldorado ; though, if their ac- 
counts may be trusted, they several times came upon 
populous places, which had many streets, all opening 
upon the river, and apparently leading to some 
greater city in the interior. On the 22d of June, on 
turning an angle of the river, they saw the country 
far before them, and great numbers of people col- 
lected, seemingly with hostile intentions. Orellana 
offered them trinkets, at which they scoffed ; but he 
persisted in making towards the shore to get food, 
either by persuasion or force. A shower of arrows 
was discharged from the shore, which wounded five 
of the crew. They nevertheless landed, and, after a 
hot contest, repulsed the natives, killing some seven 
or eight of them. The historian of the voyage, who 
was one of the adventurers, affirms that ten or twelve 
Amazons fought at the head of these people, who 
were their subjects, and fought desperately ; because 
any one who fled in battle would be beaten to death 
by these female tyrants. He describes the women 
as very tall and large-limbed, white of complexion, the 
hair long, platted, and banded round the head. It is 



ORELLANA DESCENDS THE RIVER. 271 

amusing to observe how this story was magnified by 
later narrators, who learned it only by tradition. It 
is stated in these late accounts that Orellana fought 
on this occasion with a great army of women. 

Of a prisoner whom they took, Orellana asked ques- 
tions about Eldorado and the Amazons, and got, as 
usual, such answers as he expected. This may partly 
be set down to the score of self deception, and partly 
to the fact that they conversed with these people by 
signs, and by means of the few words of their lan- 
guage which the Spaniards knew, or supposed they 
knew, the meaning of. He learned from the prisoner 
that the country was subject to women, who lived 
after the manner of the Amazons of the ancients, and 
who possessed gold and silver in abundance. There 
were in their dominions fiae temples of the sun, all 
covered with plates of gold. Their houses were of 
stone, and their cities walled. We can hardly doubt 
that the desire to tempt adventurers to join him in 
his subsequent expedition to conquer and colonize 
those countries had its effect in magnifying these 
marvels. 

Shortly after this, the Spaniards- thought they per- 
ceived the tide. After another day's voyage, they 
came to some inhabited islands, and, to their infinite 



272 ELDORADO. 

joy, saw that they had not been mistaken ; for the 
marks of the tide here were certain. Here they lost 
another of their party in a skirmish with the natives. 
From this place the country was low ; and they could 
never venture to land, except upon the islands, among 
which they sailed, as they supposed, about two hun- 
dred leagues ; the tide coming up with great force. 
One day the smaller vessel struck upon a snag, which 
stove in one of her planks, and she filled. They, how- 
ever, landed to seek for provisions ; but the inhabit- 
ants attacked them with such force, that they were 
forced to retire ; and, when they came to their vessels, 
they found that the tide had left the only serviceable 
one dry. Orellana ordered half his men to fight, and 
the other half to thrust the vessel into the water : 
that done, they righted the old brigantine, and fast- 
ened in a new plank, all which was completed in three 
hours, by which time the Indians were weary of fight- 
ing, and left them in peace. The next day they found 
a desert place, where Orellana halted to repair both 
vessels. This took them eighteen days, during which 
they suffered much from hunger. 

As they drew near the sea, they halted again for 
fourteen days, to prepare for their sea-voyage ; made 
cordage of herbs ; and sewed the cloaks, on which they 



ORELLANA DESCENDS THE RIVER. 273 

slept, into sails. On the 8th of August, they pro- 
ceeded again, anchoring with stones when the tide 
turned, though it sometimes came in such strength as 
to drag these miserable anchors. Here the natives 
were happily of a milder mood than those whom the}'" 
had lately dealt with. From them they procured 
roots and Indian corn ; and, having laid in what store 
they could, they made ready to enter upon the sea in 
these frail vessels, with their miserable tackling, and 
with insufficient food, without pilot, compass, or any 
knowledge of the coast. 

It was on the 26th of August that they sailed out 
of the river, passing between two islands, which were 
about four leagues asunder. The whole length of the 
voyage from the place where they had embarked to 
the sea they computed at eighteen hundred leagues. 
Thus far their weather had been always favorable, 
and it did not fail them now. They kept along the 
coast to the northward, just at safe distance. The 
two brigantines parted company in the night. They 
in the larger one got into the Gulf of Paria, from 
whence all their labor at the oar for seven days could 
not extricate them. During this time, they lived upon 
a sort of plum called " nogos," being the only food 
they could find. At length they were whirled 

18 



274 ELDOBADO. 

through those tremendous channels which Columbus 
called the '' Dragon's mouths," and, September the 
11th, not knowing where they were, reached the 
Island of Cubagua, where they found a colony of their 
countrymen. The old brigantine had arrived at the 
same place two days before them. Here they were 
received with the welcome which their wonderful 
adventure deserved ; and from hence Orellana pro- 
ceeded to Spain, to give the king an account of his 
discoveries in person. 



CHAPTER III. 

oeellana's adventure continued. 

/^RELLANA arrived safe in Spain, and was favor- 
^"^^ ably received. His act of insubordination in 
leaving his commander was forgotten in the success 
of his achievement ; for it had been successful, even 
if the naked facts only had been told, inasmuch as it 
was the first event which led to any certain knowl- 
edge of the immense regions that stretch eastward 
from the Andes to the ocean, besides being in itself 
one of the most brilliant adventures of that remarka- 
ble age. But Orellana's accounts went far beyond 
these limits, and confirming all previous tales of the 
wonderful Eldorado, with its temples roofed with 
gold, and its mountains composed of precious stones, 
drew to his standard numerous followers. Every 
thing promised fairly. The king granted him a com- 
mission to conquer the countries which he had ex- 
plored. He raised funds for the expedition, and even 

275 



276 ELDORADO. 

found a wife who was willing to accompany him. In 
May, 1544, he set sail with four ships and four hun- 
dred men. 

But the tide of Orellana's fortune had turned. He 
stopped three mouths at Teneriffe, and two at the 
Cape de Verde, where ninety-eight of his people died, 
and fifty were invalided. The expedition proceeded 
with three ships, and'met with contrary winds, which 
detained them till their water was exhausted ; and, had 
it not been for heavy rains, all must have perished. 
One ship put back in this distress, with seventy men 
and eleven horses on board, and was never heard of 
after. The remaining two reached the river. Hav- 
ing ascended about a hundred leagues, they stopped 
to build a brigantine. Provisions were scarce here, 
and fifty-seven more of his party died. •These men 
Avere not, like his former comrades, seasoned to the 
climate, and habituated to the difficulties of the new 
world. One ship was broken up here for the mate- 
rials : the other met with an accident, and became 
unserviceable ; and they cut her up, and made a bark 
of the timbers. 

Orellana meanwhile, in the brigantine, was endeav- 
oring to discover the main branch of the river, which 
it had been easy to keep when carried down by the 



ORELL ANA'S ADVENTURE CONTINUED. 217 

stream, but which he now sought in vain for thirty 
days among a labyrinth of channels. When he re- 
turned from this fruitless search, he was ill, and told 
his people that he would go back to Point St. Juan ; 
and there he ordered them to seek him when they 
had got the bark ready. But he found his sickness 
increase upon him, and determined to abandon the 
expedition, and return to Europe. While he was 
seeking provisions for the voyage, the Indians killed 
seventeen of his men. What with vexation and dis- 
order, he died in the river. This sealed the fate of 
the expedition. The survivors made no further exer- 
tions to reach Eldorado, but returned to their own 
country as they could. Such was the fate of Orel- 
lana, who, as a discoverer, surpassed all his country- 
men ; and though, as a conqueror, he was unfortunate, 
yet neither is he chargeable with any of those atroci- 
ties toward the unhappy natives which have left such 
a stain on the glories of Cortes and Pizarro. 

The next attempt we read of to discover Eldorado 
was made a few yea.rs after, under Hernando de Ri- 
bera, by ascending the La Plata, or River of Para- 
guay. He sailed in a brigantine with eighty men, 
and encountered no hostility from the natives. They 
confirmed the stories of the Amazons with their 



278 ELDORADO. 

golden citj. " How conld they get at them ? " was 
the next question : '' by land, or by water ? " — '' Only 
by land," was the reply. " But it was a two-months' 
journey ; and to reach them now would be impossi- 
ble, because the country was inundated." The Span- 
iards made light of this obstacle, but asked for In- 
dians to carry their baggage. The chief gave Ribera 
twenty for himself, and five for each of his men ; and 
these desperate adventurers set off on their march 
over a flooded country. 

Eight days they travelled through water up to 
their knees, and sometimes up to their middle. By 
slinging their hammocks to trees, and by this means 
only, could they find dry positions for the night. 
Before th'ey could make a fire to dress their food, 
they were obliged to raise a rude scaflblding; and 
this was unavoidably so insecure, that frequently the 
fire burned through, and food and all fell into the 
water. They reached another tribe, and were told 
that the Amazons' country was still nine days farther 
on ; and then still another tribe, who told them it 
would take a month to reach them. Perhaps they 
would still have advanced ; but here an insuperable 
obstacle met them. The locusts for two successive 
years had devoured every thing before them, and no 



ORELLANA'S ADVENTURE CONTINUED. 279 

food was to be had. The Spaniards had no alterna- 
tive but to march back. On their way, they were re- 
duced to great distress for want of food ; and from 
this cause, and travelling so long half under water, 
the greater number fell sick, and many died. Of 
eighty men who accompanied Ribera upon this dread- 
ful march, only thirty recovered from its effects. 

This expedition added a few items to the story of 
Eldorado. Ribera declares under oath that the na- 
tives told him of a nation of women, governed by a 
woman, and so warlike as to be dreaded by all their 
neighbors. They possessed plenty of white and yel- 
low metal : their seats, and all the utensils in their 
houses, were made of them. They lived on a large 
island, which was in a huge lake, which Ihey called 
the " Mansion of the Sun," because the sun sank into 
it. The only way of accounting for these stories is, 
that the Spaniards furnished, in the shape of ques- 
tions, the information which they fancied they re- 
ceived in reply ; the Indians assenting to what they 
understood but imperfectly, or not at all. 

MARTINEZ. 

Another expedition, not long after Orellam's, was 
that conducted by Don Diego Ordaz, of which Sir 



280 ELDORADO. 

Walter Raleigh, in his " History of Giiiana," gives an 
account. The expedition failed ; Ordaz being slain 
in a mutiny of his men, and those who went with him 
being scattered. The only noticeable result was in 
the adventures of one Martinez, an officer of Ordaz, 
who had charge c^f the ammunition. We tell the 
story in the language of Sir Walter, slightly modern- 
ized : — 

" It chanced, that while Ordaz, with his army, rested at the 
port of Morequito, by some negligence the whole store of pow- 
der provided for the service was set on fire ; and Martinez, hav- 
ing the chief charge thereof, was condemned by the general to 
be executed forthwith. Jlartinez, being much favored by the 
soldiers, had all means possible employed to save his life ; but it 
could not be obtained in other way but this, — that he should 
be set into a canoe alone, without any food, and so turned loose 
into the great river. But it pleased God that the canoe was car- 
ried down the stream, and that certain of the Guianians met it the 
same evening : and, not having at any time seen any European, 
they cariied Martinez into the land to be wondered at ; and so 
from town to town until he came to the great city of Manoa, 
the seat and residence of Inga, the emperor. The emperor, 
when he beheld him, knew him to be a Christian of those who 
had conquered the neighboring country of Peru, and caused 
him to be lodged in his palace, and well entertained. He lived 
seven months in Manoa, but was not suffered to wander into 
the country anywhere. He was also brought thither all the 
way blindfolded by the Indians, until he came to the entrance 



ORELL ANA'S ADVENTURE CONTINUED. 281 

of Manoa itself. He avowed at his death that he entered the 
city at noon, and then they uncovered his face ; and that he 
traveUed all that day till night through the city, ere he came to 
the palace of Inga. 

"After Martinez had lived seven months in Manoa, and- be- 
gan to understand the language of the country, Inga asked him 
whether Tie desii-ed to return to his own country, or would wUl- 
ingly abide with him. Martinez, not desirous to stay, obtained 
permission of Inga to depart, who sent with him some Guianians 
to conduct him to the river of Orinoco, with as much gold as 
they could carry, which he gave to Martinez at his depai-ture. 
But, when he arrived at the river's side, the natives, being at 
that time at war with Inga, robbed him and his Guianians of all 
his treasure, save only two bottles made of gourds, which were 
filled with beads of gold, which those people thought to contain 
his drink or food, with which he was at liberty to depart. So, 
in a canoe, he passed down by the river to Trinidad, and from 
thence to Porto Rico, where he died. In the time of his ex- 
treme sickness, and when he was without hope of life, receiving 
the sacrament at the hands of his confessor, he delivered this 
relation of his travels, and also called for his calabazas, or 
gourds of gold beads, which he gave to the church and the 
friars, to be prayed for. 

"This Martinez was the one who christened the city of Manoa 
by the name ' Eldorado,' and upon this occasion. At the times 
of their solemn feasts, when the emperor carouses with his cap- 
tains, tributaries, and governors, the manner is thus : All those 
that pledge him are first stripped naked, and their bodies 
anointed all over with a kind of white balsam very precious. 
When they are anointed all over, certain servants of the em- 



282 ELDORADO. 

peror, having prepared gold made into fine powder, blow it 
through hollow canes upon their naked bodies until they be all 
shining from the head to the foot. Upon this sight, and for the 
abundance of gold which he saw in the city, the images of gold 
in their temples, the plates, armors, and shields of gold which 
they use in the wars, he called it Eldorado." 

Such is Sir Walter's narrative of one of the tradi- 
tions which fired his enthusiasm to undertake the 
conquest of Eldorado. He asserts that he read it 
in '' The Chancery of Saint Juan de Porto Rico," of 
which Berrio had a copy. It is pretty plainly tinc- 
tured with fable, but probably had an historical foun- 
dation. 

After this, a good many years elapsed before any 
other expedition of note was fitted out in search of 
Eidorado. But the story grew, notwithstanding. An 
imaginary kingdom was shaped out. It was governed 
by a potentate who was called the Great Paytiti, 
sometimes the Great Moxu, sometimes the Enim, or 
Great Para. An impostor at Lima affirmed that he 
had been in his capital, the city of Manoa, where not 
fewer than three thousand workmen were employed 
in the silversmiths' street. He even produced a map 
of the country, in which he had marked a hill of gold, 
another of silver, and a third of salt. The columns 



ORELLANA'S ADVENTURE CONTINUED. 283 

of the palace were described as of porphyry and ala- 
baster, the galleries of ebony and cedar : the throne 
was of ivory, and the ascent to it by steps of gold. 
The palace was built of white stone. At the en- 
trance were two towers, and between them a column 
twenty-five feet in height. On its top was a large 
silver moon ; and two living lions were fastened to its 
base with chains of gold. Having passed by these 
keepers, you came into a quadrangle planted with 
trees, and watered by a silver fountain, which spouted 
through four golden pipes. The gate of the palace 
was of copper, and its bolt was received in the solid 
rock. Within, a golden sun was placed upon an altar 
of silver ; and four lamps were kept burning before it 
day and night. 

It may surprise us that tales so palpably false as 
these should have deceived any, to such an extent 
as to lead them to get up costly and hazardous expe- 
ditions to go in search of the wonder ; but we must 
remember, that what the Spaniards had already real- 
ized and demonstrated to the world in their con- 
quests of Mexico and Peru was hardly less astonish- 
ing than these accounts. It is therefore no wonder 
that multitudes should be found willing to admit so 
much of the marvels of Eldorado as to see in them 



284 ELDORADO. 

a sufficient inducement to justify the search; and 
others less credulous were perhaps willing to avail 
themselves of the credulity of the multitude to ac- 
complish plans of conquest and ambition for them- 
selves. Of the latter class, we may imagine the 
celebrated Sir Walter Raleigh to be one, who, at this 
time, undertook an expedition for the discovery and 
conquest of Eldorado. 



CHAPTER IV. 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 



"TTT ALTER RALEIGH was born in the year 1552 
^ in Devonshire, England, and received a good 
education, completed by a residence of two years at 
the University of Oxford. At the age of seventeen, 
he joined a volunteer corps of English to serve in 
France in aid of the Protestant cause. Afterwards 
he served five years in the Netherlands. In 1576, he 
accompanied his half-brother. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, 
on an expedition to colonize some part of North Amer- 
ica; which expedition was unsuccessful. We next 
find him commanding a company of the royal troops 
in Ireland during the rebellion raised by the Earl of 
Desmond. In consequence of some serious differ- 
ences which arose between him and his superior offi- 
cer, he found it necessary to repair to court to justify 
himself It was at this time that an incident occurred 
which recommended him to the notice of Queen Eliza- 

285 



286 ELDORADO. 

beth, and was the foundation of his fortunes. Raleigh 
stood in the crowd one day where the queen passed 
on foot ; and when she came to a spot of muddy 
ground, and hesitated for a moment where to step, 
he sprang forward, and, throwing from his shoulders 
his handsome cloak (" his clothes being then," says a 
quaint old writer, "a considerable part of his estate"), 
he spread it over the mud, so that the queen passed 
over dry-shod, doubtless giving an approving look to 
the handsome and quick-witted young officer. There 
is another story which is not less probable, because 
it is not less in character with both the parties. Find- 
ing some hopes of the queen's favor glancing on him, 
he wrote, on a window where it was likely to meet 
her eye, — 

" Fain would I climb, but that I fear to Ml." 

And her majesty, espying it, wrote underneath, — 
" If thy heart fail thee, wherefore climb at all 1 " 

His progress in the queen's favor was enhanced by 
bis demeanor when the matter in dispute between 
him and his superior officer was brought before the 
privy council, and each party was called upon to plead 
his own cause. " What advantage he had in the case 



SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 287 

in controversy," says a contemporary writer, " I know- 
not ; but he had much the better in the manner of tell- 
ing his tale." The result was, that he became a man 
of " no slight mark ; " "he had gotten the queen's 
ear in a trice ; " " she took him for a kind of oracle," 
and " loved to hear his reasons to her demands," 
or, in more modern phrase, " his replies to her ques- 
tions." 

The reign of Queen Elizabeth has been called the 
heroic age of England. And, let us remember, the 
England of that day is o'urs as much as theirs who 
still bear the name of Englishmen. The men whose 
gallant deeds we now record were our ancestors, and 
their glory is our inheritance. 

The Reformation in religion had awakened all the 
energies of the human mind. It had roused against 
England formidable enemies, among which Spain was 
the most powerful and the most intensely hostile. 
She fitted out the famous Armada to invade England ; 
and England, on her part, sent various expeditions to 
annoy the Spaniards in their lately acquired posses- 
sions in South America. These expeditions were 
generally got up by private adventurers ; the queen 
and her great nobles often taking a share in them. 
When there was nominal peace with Spain, such en- 



288 ELDORADO. 

terprises were professedly for discovery and coloniza- 
tion, though the adventurers could not always keep 
their hands off a rich prize of Spanish property that 
fell in their way ; but, for the last fifteen years of 
Elizabeth's reign, there was open war between the 
two powers : and then these expeditions had for their 
first object the annoyance of Spain, and discovery and 
colonization for their second. 

We find Raleigh, after fortune began to smile upon 
him, engaged in a second expedition, with Sir Hum- 
phrey Gilbert, for discovery and colonization in 
America. He furnished, from his own means, a ship 
called ''The Raleigh," on board of which he embarked ; 
but when a few days out, a contagious disease break- 
ing out among the crew, he put back into port, and 
relinquished the expedition. Sir Humphrey, with 
the rest of the squadron, consisting of five vessels, 
reached Newfoundland without accident, took posses- 
sion of the island, and left a colony there. He then 
set out exploring along the American coast to the 
south, he himself doing all the work in his little ten- 
ton cutter ; the service being too dangerous for the 
larger vessels to venture on. He spent the summer 
in this labor till toward the end of August, when, in 
a violent storm, one of the larger vessels, " The De- 



' 677? WALTER RALEIGH. 289 

light," was lost with all her crew. " The Golden 
Hind" and " Squirrel" were now left alckne of the five 
ships. Their provisions were running short, and the 
season far advanced ; and Sir Humphrey reluctantly 
concluded to lay his course for home. He still contin- 
ued in the small vessel, though vehemently urged by 
his friends to remove to the larger one, '' I will not 
forsake my little company, going homeward," said he, 
" with whom I have passed so many storms and perils." 
On the 9th of September, the weather was rough, and 
the cutter was with difficulty kept afloat, struggling 
with the violence of the waves. When the vessels 
came within hearing distance. Sir Humphrey cried 
out to his companions in " The Hind," '' Be of good 
courage : we are as near to heaven by sea as by land." 
" That night, at about twelve o'clock," writes the his- 
torian of the voyage, who was himself one of the ad- 
venturers, " the cutter being ahead of us in ' The Gol- 
den Hind,' suddenly her lights were out, and the watch 
cried, ' The general is cast away ! ' which was too 
true." So perished a Christian hero. It was a fine 
end For a mortal, man. Let us not call it sad or tragic, 
but heroic and sublime. 

Raleigh, not discouraged by the ill success of this 
expedition, shortly after obtained letters-patent for 

19 



290 ELDORADO. 

another enterprise of the same kind, on the same 
terms as had* been granted to Sir Humphrey. Two 
barks were sent to explore some undiscovered part 
of America north of Florida, and look out for a favora- 
ble situation for the proposed colony. This expedi- 
tion landed on Roanoke Island, near the mouth of 
Albemarle Sound. Having taken formal possession 
of the country for the Queen of England and her ser- 
vant Sir Walter Raleigh, they returned, and gave so 
favorable an account of the country, that her Majesty 
allowed it to be called Virginia, after herself, a virgin 
queen. The next year, Raleigh sent out a second 
expedition, and left a colony of a hundred men, which 
was the first colon}' planted by Englishmen on the 
continent of America. Soon after, Raleigh sent a 
third expedition with a hundred and fifty colonists ; 
but having now expended forty thousand pounds upon 
these attempts, and being unable to persist further, or 
weary of waiting so long for profitable returns, he 
assigned over his patent to a company of merchants, 
and withdrew from further prosecution of the enter- 
prise. 

The years which followed were the busiest of Ra- 
leigh's adventurous life. He bore a distinguished 
part in the defeat of the Spanish Armada ; and, in the 



.977? WALTER RALEIGH. 291 

triumphant procession to return thanks at St. Paul's 
for that great deliverance, he was conspicuous as com- 
mander of the queen's guard. He was a member of 
Parliament, yet engaged personally in two naval ex- 
peditions against the Spaniards, from which he reaped 
honor, but no profit ; and was at the height of favor 
with the queen. But, during his absence at sea, the 
queen discovered that an intrigue existed between 
Raleigh and one of the maids of honor, which was an 
offence particularly displeasing to Elizabeth, who 
loved to fancy that all her handsome young courtiers 
were too much attached to herself to be capable of 
loving any other object. Raleigh, on his return, was 
committed a prisoner to the Tower, and, on being re- 
leased after a short confinement, retired to his estate 
in Dorsetshire. It was during this retirement that 
he formed his scheme for the discovery and conquest 
of Eldorado. It had long been a subject of meditation 
to Raleigh, who declares in the dedication of his " His- 
tory of Guiana," published after his return, that '' many 
years since, he had knowledge, by relation, of that 
mighty, rich, and beautiful empire of Guiana, and of 
that great and golden city which the Spaniards call 
Eldorado, and the naturals Manoa." — " It is not possi- 
ble," says one of the historians of these events, "that 



292 ELDORADO 

Raleigh could have believed the existence of such a 
kingdom. Credulity was not the vice of his nature ; 
but, having formed the project of colonizing Guiana, 
he employed these fables as baits for vulgar cupidi- 
ty." Other writers judge him more favorably. It 
is probably true that he believed in the existence of 
such a country as Eldorado ; but we can hardly sup- 
pose that he put faith in all the marvellous details 
which accompanied the main fact in popular narra- 
tion. 



CHAPTER V. 

baleigh's first expedition. 

A S the attempts of Pizarro and Orellana were 
made by the route of the river of the Ama- 
zons, and that of Ribera by the river of Paraguay, 
Raleigh's approach was by the Orinoco, a river sec- 
ond in size only to the Amazons, and which flows in a 
course somewhat parallel to that, and some five or 
ten degrees farther to the north. The region of 
country where this river discharges itself into the 
Atlantic was nominally in possession of the Span- 
iards, though they had but one settlement in what 
was called the province of Guiana, — the town of St. 
Joseph, then recently founded ; and another on the 
island of Trinidad, which lies nearly opposite the 
mouth of the river. Raleigh, arriving at Trinidad, 
stopped some days to procure such intelligence as 
the Spaniards resident there could afford him re- 
specting Guiana. He then proceeded to the main 

293 



294 ELDORADO. 

land, destroyed the town which the Spaniards had 
lately built there, and took the governor, Berrio, on 
board his own ship. He used his prisoner well, and 
" gathered from him," he says, '' as much of Guiana 
as he knew." Berrio seems to have conversed will- 
ingly upon his own adventures in exploring the coun- 
try, having no suspicion of Raleigh's views. He 
discouraged Raleigh's attempts to penetrate into the 
country, telling him that he would find the river 
unnavigable for his ships, and the nations hostile. 
These representations had little weight with Raleigh, 
as he attributed them to a very natural wish on Ber- 
rio's part to keep off foreigners from his province ; 
but, on trying to find the entrance to the river, he 
discovered Berrio's account to be true, so far as re- 
lated to the difficulties of the navigation. After a 
thorough search for a practicable entrance, he gave 
up all hopes of passing in any large vessel, and re- 
solved to go with the boats. He took in his largest 
boat, with himself, sixty men, including his cousin, 
his nephew, and principal officers. Another boat car- 
ried twenty, and two others ten each. " We had no 
other means," he says in his account afterward pub- 
lished, "but to carry victual for a month in the same, 
and also to lodge therein as we could, and to boil and 
dress our meat." 



RALEIGH'S FIRST EXPEDITION. 295 

The Orinoco, at nearly forty leagues from the sea, 
forms, like the Nile, a kind of fan, strewed aver with 
a multitude of little islands, that divide it into numer- 
ous branches and channels, and force it to discharge 
itself through this labyrinth into the sea by an infin- 
ity of mouths, occupying an extent of more than 
sixty leagues. " The Indians who inhabit those 
islands," says Raleigh, "in the summer, have houses 
upon the ground, as in other places ; in the winter 
they dwell upon the trees, where they build very 
artificial towns and villages : for, between May and 
September, the river rises to thirty feet upright, and 
then are those islands overflowed twenty feet high 
above the level of the ground ; and for this cause 
they are enforced to live in this manner. They use 
the tops of palmitoes for bread; and kill deer, fish, and 
porks for the rest of their sustenance." Raleigh's 
account is confirmed by later travellers. Humboldt 
says, '' The navigator, in proceeding along the 
channels of the delta of the Orinoco at night, sees 
with surprise the summits of the palm-trees illumi- 
nated by large fires. These are the habitations 
of the Guaraons, which are suspended from the 
trees. These tribes hang up mats in the air, 
which they fill with earth, and kindle, on a layer 



296 ELDORADO. 

of moist clay, the fire necessary for their household 
wants," • 

Passing up with the flood, and anchoring dui^^ng the 
ebb, Raleigh and his companions went on, till on the 
third day their galley grounded, and stuck so fast, 
that they feared their discovery must end there, and 
they be left to inhabit, like rooks upon trees, with 
these nations ; but on the morrow, after casting out 
all her ballast, with tugging and hauling to and fro, 
they got her afloat. After four days more, they got 
beyond the influence of the tide, and were forced to 
row against a violent current, till they began to de- 
spair ; the weather being excessively hot, and the 
river bordered with high trees, that kept away the 
air. Their provisions began to fail them ; but some 
relief they found by shooting birds of all colors, 
— carnation, crimson, orange, purple, and of all 
other sorts, both simple and mixed. An old Indian 
whom they had pressed into their service was a faith- 
ful guide to them, and brought them to an Indian vil- 
lage, where they got a supply of bread, fish, and fowl. 
They were thus encouraged to persevere, and next 
day captured two canoes laden with bread, "and 
divers baskets of roots, Avhich were excellent meat." 
Probably these roots were no other than potatoes j 



n A LEIGH'S Fin ST expedition. 297 

for tho mountains of Quito, to wliicli Sir Walter was 
now approaching, were the native country of the po- 
tato, and the region from whence it was first intro- 
duced into Europe. The Spaniards and Portuguese 
introduced it earher than the EngHsh ; but to Ealeigh 
belongs the credit of making it known to his country- 
men. The story is, that Sir Walter, on his return 
home, had some of the roots planted in his garden at 
Youghal, in Ireland, and that his gardener was sadly 
disappointed in autumn on tasting the apples of the 
" fine American fruit," and proceeded to root up the 
" useless weeds," when he discovered the tubers. 

Raleigh treated the natives with humanity, and, in 
turn, received friendly treatment from them. The 
chiefs told him fine stories about the gold-mines ; but, 
unfortunately, the gold was not to be had without 
labor, and the adventurers were in no condition to 
undertake mining operations. What they wanted was 
to find a region like Mexico or Peru, only richer, 
where gold might be found, not in the rocks or the 
bowels of the earth, but in possession of the natives, 
in the form of barbaric ornaments that they would 
freely barter for European articles, or images of their 
gods, such as Christians might seize and carry away 
with an approving conscience. 



298 ELDORADO. 

Thus far, their search for such a region had been 
unsuccessful, and their only hope was of reaching it 
by farther explorations. But the river was rising 
daily, and the current flowed with such rapidity, that 
they saw clearly, if it went on to increase as it had 
done for some time past, it must soon debar all farther 
progress. 

Raleigh found by talking with the chiefs that they 
,were all hostile to the Spaniards, and willing enough 
to promise him their aid in driving them out of the 
country. He accordingly told them that he was sent 
by a great and virtuous queen to deliver them from 
the tyranny of the Spaniards. He also learned that 
the Indians with whom he was conversing were an 
oppressed race, having been conquered by a nation 
who dwelt beyond the mountains, — a nation who wore 
large coats, and hats of crimson color, and whose 
houses had many rooms, one over the other. They 
were called the Eperumei ; and against them all the 
other tribes would gladly combine, for they were the 
general oppressors. Moreover, the country of these 
Eperumei abounded in gold and all other good things. 

He continued to make daily efforts to ascend the 
river, and to explore the tributary streams, but found 
his progress debarred in some quarters by the rapid 



RALEIGH'S FIRST EXPEDITION. 299 

current of the swollen streams, and in others by falls 
in the rivers. The falls of one of the tributaries of 
the Orinoco, the Caroli, he describes as " a wonderful 
breach of waters, running in three parts ; and there 
appeared some ten or twelve over-falls in sight, every 
one as high over the other as a church-tower." He 
was informed that the lake from which the river 
issued was above a day's journey for one of their 
canoes to cross, which he computed at about forty 
miles ; tkat many rivers fall into it, and great store 
of grains of gold was found in those rivers. On one 
of these rivers, he was told, a nation of people dwell 
" whose heads appear not above their shoulders ; " 
which, he says, " though it may be thought a mere 
fable, yet, for my own part, I am resolTed it is true, 
because every child in those provinces aflSrm the 
same. They are reported to have their eyes in their 
shoulders, and their mouths in the middle of their 
breasts, and that a long train of hair groweth back- 
ward between their shoulders." Raleigh adds, " It 
was not my chance to hear of them till I was come 
away. If I had but spoken one word of it while I was 
there, I might have brought one of them with me to 
put the matter out of doubt." It might have been 
more satisfactory for the philosophers if he had done 



300 ELDOIiADO. 

so; but his word was quite enough for the poets. 
One of that chxss, and the greatest of all, William 
Shakspeare, was, at that very time, writing plaj'-s for 
the gratification of Raleigh's gracious mistress and 
her subjects, and eagerly availed himself of tliis new- 
discovered tribe to introduce one of them in his play 
of "The Tempest," under the name of Caliban. He also 
makes Othello tell the gentle Desdemona " of most 
disastrous chances, and of the cannibals that each 
other eat ; the Anthropophagi, and men wlTose heads 
do grow beneath their shoulders," Nor are these 
the only instances in which we think we trace the 
influence of the romantic adventurer on the suscepti- 
ble poet. The name of the divinity whom Caliban 
calls " my dam's God Setebos " occurs in Raleigh's 
narrative as the name of an Indian tribe ; and Trin- 
culo's plan of taking Caliban to England to make a 
show of him seems borrowed from this hint of Ra- 
leigh's. In his days of prosperity, Raleigh instituted 
a meeting of intellectual men at " The Mermaid," a 
celebrated tavern. To this club, Shakspeare, Beau- 
mont, Fletcher, Jonson, Selden, Donne, and other dis- 
tinguished literary men, were accustomed to repair ; 
and here doubtless the adventures and discoveries of 
Sir Walter, set forth with that talent of which his 



RALEIGH'S FIBST EXPEDITION. 301 

writings furnish abundant proof, often engaged the 
listening group. Raleigh was then forty-eight, and 
Shakspeare thirty-six, y^ars old. But, in justice to 
Ealeigh, it should be added, that he did not invent 
these stories, and that later travellers and mission- 
aries testify that such tales were current among the 
Indians, though as yet no specimen of the tribe has 
been seen by trustworthy narrators. 

Raleigh now found that he must bring his westward 
progress to a conclusion : " for no half-day passed but 
the river began to rage and overflow very fearfully ; 
and the rains came down in terrible showers, and 
gusts in great abundance, and men began to cry out 
for want of shift ; for no man had place to bestow any 
other apparel than that which he wore on his back, 
and that was thoroughly washed on his body for the 
most part ten times a day ; and we had now been near 
a month, every day passing to the westward, farther 
from our ships." They turned back, therefore, and, 
passing down the stream, went, without labor and 
against the wind, little less than one hundred miles a 
day. They stopped occasionally, both for provisions, 
and for conference with the natives. In particular, 
one old chief, with whom he had conferred formerly 
on his ascent, gave him the confidential communica- 



302 ELDOBADO. 

tion, that tho attempt to attack the city of Manoa, at 
that time, was desperate ; for neither the time of the 
year was flivorable, nor had he nearly a sufficient 
force. He advised, that, forbearing any further at- 
tempts at that time, Ealeigh should rest satisfied with 
the information he had gained, and return to his own 
country for a larger force, with which to come again 
the next year, and unite all the tribes which were 
hostile to the Eperumei, or people of Manoa, and by 
their aid make an easy conquest of them. The old 
chief added, that, for his part and his people's, they 
wanted no share of the spoils of gold or precious 
stones : they only wanted to be avenged on their ene- 
mies, and to rescue from them their women whom the 
Eperumei had carried away in their frequent incur- 
sions ; " so that, whereas they were wont to have ten 
or twelve wives apiece, they were now enforced to 
content themselves with three or four." 

Raleigh met with no material misadventure in his 
way down the river ; and, though a storm attacked 
them the same night, they anchored in the mouth of 
the river ; so that, in spite of every shelter they could 
derive from the shores, the galley " had as much to 
do to live as could be, and there wanted little of her 
sinking, and all those in her : " yet next day they 



RALEIGirS FIRST EXPEDITION. 303 

arrived safe at the Island of Trinidad, and found the 
ships at anchor, '' than whicli," says Raleigh, " there 
was never to us a more joyful sight." 

Raleigh was not favorably received by the queen 
on his return, nor was he welcomed with any popular 
applause ; for he had brought home no booty, and his 
account of the riches of the land into which he had 
led the way was received with suspicion. He pub- 
lished it under this boastful title : '' The Discovery 
of the large, rich, and beautiful Empire of Guiana; 
with a relation of the great and Golden City of Manoa, 
which the Spaniards call Eldorado. Performed by 
Sir Walter Raleigh." In spite of all the great prom- 
ises which he held out, the acknowledgment that he 
had made a losing voyage tended to abate that spirit 
of cupidity and enterprise which he wished to excite. 

Sir Walter's history of his expedition contains, be- 
sides the marvels already cited, numerous others, some 
of which have a basis of fact, others not. Of the for- 
mer kind is his account of oysters growing on trees. 
He says, '' We arrived at Trinidado the 22d of March, 
casting anchor at Port Curiapan. I left the ships, and 
kept by the shore in my barge, the better to under- 
stand the rivers, watering-places, and ports of the 
island. In the way, I passed divers little brooks of 



304 ELDORADO. 

fresh water, and one salt river, that had store of oys- 
ters upon the branches of the trees. All their oys- 
ters grow upon those boughs and sprays, and not on 
the ground. The like is commonly seen in the West 
Indies and elsewhere.'* 

Upon this narrative, Sir Robert Schomburgh, a late 
explorer, has the following remark : *' The first ac- 
counts brought to Europe, of oysters growing on trees, 
raised as great astonishment as the relation of Eldo- 
rado itself; and to those who were unacquainted with 
the fact that these mollusks select the branches of 
the tree, on which they fix themselves during high 
water, when the branches are immersed, it may cer- 
tainly sound strange, that shells, which we know live 
in Europe on banks in the depths of the sea, should 
be found in the West Indies on the branches of trees. 
They attach themselves chiefly to the mangrove-tree, 
which grows along the shore of the sea, and rivers of 
brackish water, and covers immense tracts of coast ; 
rooting and vegetating in a manner peculiar to itself, 
even as far as low-water mark. The water flowing 
off during ebb leaves the branches, with the oysters 
attached to them, high and dry." 

Respecting the Republic of Amazons, Sir Walter 
says, "I made inquirj'^ among the most ancient and 



RALEIGH'S FIRST EXPEDITION. 305 

best travelled of the Orenoqueponi ; and I was very 
desirous to understand the truth of those warlike 
women, because of some it is believed, of others not. 
I will set down what hath been delivered me for 
truth of those women ; and I spake with a cacique, 
or lord of people, who said that he had been in the 
river, and beyond it also. The nations of those women 
are on the south side of the river, in the province of 
Topago ; and their chiefest strengths and retreats 
are in the islands of said river. They accompany 
with men but once in a year, and for the time of one 
month, which, I gather from their Felation, to be in 
April. At that time, all the kings of the borders as- 
semble, and the queens of the Amazons ; and, after 
the queens have chosen, the rest cast lots for their 
valentines. This one month they feast, dance, and 
drink of their wines in abundance ; and, the moon 
being done, they all depart to their own provinces. 
If a son be born, they return him to the father ; if a 
daughter, they nourish it and retain it, all being desi- 
rous to increase their own sex and kind. They carry 
on wars, and are very blood-thirsty and cruel." 

Sir Robert Schomburgh, who explored these re- 
gions extensively between the years 1835 and 
1844, says, in reference to this subject, *' The re- 

20 



306 ELDORADO. 

suit of this fatiguing and perilous journey has only 
strengthened our conviction that this republic of 
women was one of those inventions, designed merely 
to enhance the wonders, of which the new world was 
regarded as the seat. It would, however, be unjust 
to condemn Raleigh's proneness to a belief in their 
existence, when we find that Condamine believed in 
them ; that Humboldt * hesitated to decide against 
them ; and that even Southey, the learned historian 
of Brazil, makes this remark, " Had we never heard 
of the Amazons of antiquity, I should, without hesita- 
tion, believe in ijiose of America. Their existence is 
not the less likely for that reason ; and yet it must be 
admitted, that the probable truth is made to appear 
suspicious by its resemblance to a known fable." 



CHAPTER VI. 

Raleigh's adventures continued, 

TTTHEN Raleigh, on his first arrival, broke up the 
Spanish settlement in Trinidad, he took Berrio, 
the governor, prisoner, and carried him with him in 
his voyage up the river. Berrio seems to have borne 
his fate with good temper, and conciliated the good 
will of Raleigh ; so that, when the expedition returned 
to the mouth of the river, he was set at liberty, and 
collected his little colony again. Berrio probably 
shared the same belief as Raleigh in the existence of 
the kingdom of Eldorado within the limits of his 
province, and was naturally desirous to avail himself 
of the respite which he gained by the termination of 
Raleigh's expedition, until it should return in greater 
force to penetrate to Eldorado, and take possession 
for himself and his countrymen. With these views, 
he sent an oflScer of his, Domingo de Vera, to Spain, 
to levy men ; sending, according to Raleigh's account, 

307 



308 ELDORADO. 

" divers images, as well of men as of beasts, birds, and 
fishes, cunningly wrought in gold," in. hopes to per- 
suade the king to yield him some further help. This 
agent was more successful than Raleigh in obtaining 
belief. He is described as a man of great ability, and 
little scrupulous as to truth. Having been favorably 
received by the government, he attracted notice by 
appearing in a singular dress, which, as he was of 
great stature, and rode always a great horse, drew all 
eyes, and made him generally known as the Indian 
chief of Eldorado and the rich lands. Some trinkets 
in gold he displayed, of Indian workmanship, and some 
emeralds, which he had brought from America, and 
promised stores of both ; and, by the aid of influential 
persons, he obtained seventy thousand dollars at Ma- 
drid, and five thousand afterwards at Seville, authority 
to raise any number of adventurers (though Berrio 
had asked only for three hundred men), and five good 
ships to carry them out. Adventurers flocked to him 
in Toledo, La Mancha, and Estremadura. The expedi- 
tion was beyond example popular. Twenty captains 
of infantry, who had served in Italy and Flanders, 
joined it. Not only those who had their fortunes to 
seek were deluded: men of good birth and expec- 
tations left all to engage in the conquest of Eldora- 



RALEIGirS ADVENTURES CONTINUED. 309 

do; and fathers of families gave up their employments, 
and sold their goods, and embarked with their wives 
and children. Solicitations and bribes were made use 
of by eager volunteers. The whole expedition con- 
sisted of more than two thousand persons. 

They reached Trinidad after a prosperous voyage, 
and took possession of the town. The little mischief 
which Raleigh had done had been easily repaired ; for 
indeed there was little that he could do. The place 
did not contain thirty families, and the strangers were 
to find shelter as they could. Rations of biscuit and 
salt meat, pulse, or rice, were served out to them ; but, 
to diminish the consumption as much as possible, de- 
tachments were sent oif in canoes to the main land, 
where Berrio had founded the town of St. Thomas. 
Some flotillas effected their progress safely ; but one, 
which consisted of six canoes, met with bad weather, 
and only three succeeded in entering the river, after 
throwing their cargoes overboard. The others made 
the nearest shore, where they were descried by the 
Caribs, a fierce tribe of natives, who slew them all, 
except a few women whom they carried away, and 
one soldier, who escaped to relate the fate of his com- 
panions. 

The city of St. Thomas contained at that time four 



310 ELDORADO. 

hundred men, besides women and children. Berrio, 
to prepare the way for the discovery and conquest of 
Eldorado, sent out small parties of the new-comers 
under experienced persons, that they might be sea- 
soned to the difficulties which they would have to un- 
dergo, and learn how to conduct themselves in their 
intercourse with the Indians. They were to spread 
the news that the king had sent out many Spaniards, 
and a large supply of axes, caps, hawk-bells, looking- 
glasses, combs, and such other articles of traffic as 
were in most request. They saw no appearance of 
those riches which Raleigh had heard of, nor of that 
plenty which he had found. The people with whom 
they met had but a scanty subsistence for themselves, 
and so little of gold or silver or any thing else to bar- 
ter for the hatchets and trinkets of the Spaniards, 
that they were glad of the chance to labor as boat- 
men, or give their children, in 'exchange for them. 

Berrio was not discouraged by the result of these 
journeys. Like Raleigh, he was persuaded that tbe 
great and golden city stood on the banks of a great 
lake, from which the River Caroli issued, about twelve 
leagues east of the mouth whereof his town was 
•placed. A force of eight hundred men was now 
ordered on the discovery. The command was given 



RALEIGirS ADVENTURES CONTINUED. 311 

to Correa, an officer accustomed to Indian warfare. 
Three Franciscan monks, and a lay brother of the 
same order, accompanied the expedition. Having 
reached a spot where the country was somewhat 
elevated, and the temperature cooler than in the re- 
gion they had passed, they hutted themselves on a 
sort of prairie, and halted there in the hope that rest 
might restore those who began to feel the effect of an 
unwholesome climate. The natives not only abstained 
from any acts of hostility, but supplied them with 
fruits, and a sort of cassava (tapioca). This they did 
in sure knowledge that disease would soon subdue 
these new-come Spaniards to their hands. It was not 
long before a malignant fever broke out among the 
adventurers, which carried off a third part of their 
number. One comfort only was left them : the friars 
continued every day to perform mass in a place where 
all the sufferers could hear it ; and no person died 
without performing and receiving all the offices which 
the Romish Church has enjoined. Correa himself 
sank under the disease. He might possibly have es- 
caped it, acclimated as he was, if he had not over- 
tasked himself when food was to be sought from a 
distance, and carried heavy loads to spare those who 
were less equal to the labor : for now the crafty In- 



312 ELDORADO. 

dians no longer brought supplies, but left the weak- 
ened Spaniards to provide for themselves as they 
could ; and when Correa was dead, of whom, as a man 
accustomed to Indian war, they stood in fear, they 
collected their forces, and fell upon the Spaniards, 
who apprehended no danger, and were most of them 
incapable of making any defence. The plan appears 
to have been concerted with a young Indian chief 
who accompanied the Spaniards under pretence of 
friendship ; and the women whom the Indians brought 
with them to carry home the spoils of their- enemies 
bore their part with stones and stakes in the easy 
slaughter. The Spaniards who escaped the first at- 
tack fled with all speed, some without weapons, and 
some without strength to use them. The friars were 
the last to fly. With the soldiers to protect them, 
they brought off their portable altar, two crosses, and 
a crucifix. No attempt at resistance was made, ex- 
cept when a fugitive fell by the way. The word then 
passed for one of the fathers : some soldiers stood 
with their muskets to protect him while he hastily 
confessed and absolved the poor wretch, whom his 
countrymen then commended to God, and left to the 
mercy of the Indians. 

In some places, the enemy set fire to the grass and 



RALFAGirS ADVENTURES CONTINUED. olo 

shrubbery, which in that climate grow with extreme 
luxuriance ; by which means many of this miserable 
expedition perished. Not quite thirty out of the 
whole number got safe back to the town of St. Thomas. 
That place was in a deplorable state, sufiering at once 
from a contagious disease and from a scarcity of pro- 
visions. To add to the distress, about a hundred per- 
sons more had just arrived from Trinidad. They 
came of necessity ; for there were no longer supplies 
of food at Trinidad to sustain them. But they came 
with high-raised hopes, only repining at their ill luck 
in not hav'ng been in the first expedition, by which 
they supposed the first spoils of Eldorado had already 
been shared. They arrived like skeletons at a city of 
death. Not only were provisions scarce, but the sup- 
ply of salt had altogether failed ; and, without it, health 
in that climate cannot be preserved. To add to their 
misery, the shoes had all been consumed, and the 
country was infested by that insect (the cliigua) 
which burrows in the feet, and attacks the flesh 
wherever the slightest wound gives it access. The 
torment occasioned by these insects was such, that 
the men willingly submitted to the only remedy they 
knew of, and had the sores caiitci'izod with hot iron. 
Among those who had come from Spain to enter 



314 ELDORADO. 

upon this land of promise, there was a " beata," or 
pious woman, who had been attached to a convent in 
Madrid, and accompanied a married daughter and her 
husband on this unhappy adventure, and devoted her- 
self to the service of the sick. Some of the women, 
and she among them, looking upon the governor, 
Berrio, as the cause of their miseries, and thinking, 
that, as long as he lived, there was no hope of their 
escaping from this fatal place, resolved to murder 
him, and provided themselves with knives for the 
purpose. The indignation against him was so gene- 
ral, that they hesitated not to impart their design to 
one of the friars ; and, luckily for Berrio, he interposed 
his influence to prevent it. One of the women Avho 
had sold her possessions in Spain to join the expedi- 
tion made her way to the governor when the officers 
and friars were with him, and, emptying upon the 
ground before him a bag which contained one hun- 
dred and fifty doubloons, said, " Tyrant, take what is 
left, since you have brought us here to die." Berrio 
replied, with less of anger than of distress in his coun- 
tenance, " I gave no orders to Domingo de Vera that 
he should bring more than three hundred men." He 
offered no opposition to the departure of such as 
would. Many who had strength or resolution enough 



RALEIGH'S ADVENTURES CONTINUED. 315 

trusted themselves to the river in such canoes as 
they could find, without boatmen or pilot, and en- 
deavored to make their way back to Trinidad ; some 
perishing by the hands of the natives, others by 
drowning, others by hunger, on the marshy shores 
which they reached. Vera soon died of a painful dis- 
ease in Trinidad ; and Berrio did not long survive 
him. Such was the issue of this great attempt for 
the conquest of the golden empire ; *' of which," says 
an old Spanish historian, " it may be said, that it was 
like Nebuchadnezzar's image, beginning in gold, but 
continuing through baser metal, till it ended in rude 
iron and base clay." 



CHAPTER VII. 

RALEIGH'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 

T) ALEIGH'S first voyage disappointed every one 
but himself. He pretended to have obtained 
satisfactory evidence of the existence of Eldorado, 
and information of the place where it was ; also proof 
of the existence of mines of gold ; and to have concili- 
ated the good will of the natives, and secured their 
co-operation w^ith him in any future attempt. But he 
had brought home no gold ; the shining stones which 
his followers had abundantly supplied themselves 
with were found to be worthless : and there was no 
evidence of the existence of a native sovereignty as 
far advanced in civilization and refinement as the 
Mexicans and Peruvians, the conquest of which 
would reflect as much glory upon the English name 
as the achievements of Cortez and Pizarro had re- 
flected upon that- of Spain. Raleigh's boastful repre- 
sentations, therefore, failed of effect. None of his 

316 



RALEIGirs SECOND EXPEDITION. 317 

countrymen were inclined to join with him in a fur- 
ther prosecution of the enterprise ; and the subject 
was dropped for the time. 

Raleigh was soon restored to favor, and employed 
in the naval expeditions against Spain which took 
place at this time. He greatly distinguished himself 
on several occasions, and was in high favor with 
Queen Elizabeth till her death ; but, with the ac- 
cession of James, his fortunes fell. He was accused 
(whether justly or not is still doubtful) of being con- 
cerned in treasonable plots against the king, and was 
brought to trial, found guilty, condemned to death, 
and committed prisoner to the Tower to await the 
execution of his sentence. 

Raleigh, withdrawn from active labors by his im- 
prisonment, was not idle. He turned to intellectual 
pursuits, and, with many minor pieces in prose and 
verse, executed his greatest work, " The History of 
the World," — a project of such vast extent, that the 
bare idea of his undertaking it excites our admiration. 
As an author, he stands on an eminence as high as 
that which he obtained in other paths. Hume says, 
" Ho is the best model of our ancient style ; " and Hal- 
lam confirms the judgment. His imprisonment lasted 
thirteen years. At the expiration of that time, he 



318 ELDORADO. 

had influence to have his sentence so far remitted as 
to allow him to go on a second expedition in search 
of Eldorado. Twenty years had elapsed since the 
former expedition ; and the present was of a magni- 
tude more like a national enterprise than a private 
one. Sir Walter's own ship, " The Destiny," carried 
thirty-six guns and two hundred men. Tliere were 
six other vessels, carrying from twenty-five guns to 
three each. Raleigli embarked all his means in this 
expedition. His eldest son commanded one of the 
ships ; and eighty of his companions were gentlemen 
volunteers and adventurers, many of them his rela- 
tions. 

Those who have thoughtfully considered Raleigh's 
career have seen reason to doubt whether he really 
believed the stories which he was so anxious to im- 
press upon others. They have thought it more likely 
that his real object was to emulate the fame of Cor- 
tez and Pizarro ; to dispossess Spain of some por- 
tion of her conquests in South America, and transfer 
them to his own country. This latter object was ad- 
missible at the time of his first expedition, because 
Spain and England were then at war ; but was not 
so on the second, as the two nations were then at 
peace. But Raleigh had reason to thiok, that, if he 



RALEIGH'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 319 

could succeed in his object, there was no danger of 
his being called to very strict account respecting his 
measures. 

He arrived oflf the coast of Guiana on the 12th of 
November, 1617; having had a long and disastrous 
voyage. One ship had left him, and returned home ; 
another had foundered ; forty-two of his men had died ; 
many were suffering from sickness, and himself among 
the number. But he found the Indians friendly, and 
not forgetful of his former visit. He writes to his 
wife, " To tell you that I might be here king of the 
country were a vanity ; but my name hath still lived 
among them here. They feed me with fresh meat, 
and all that the country yields. All offer to obey 
me." 

Being too feeble from sickness to go himself, he 
sent forward an expedition, under Capt. Keymis, to 
enter the Orinoco, and take possession of the mines. 
Five companies of fifty men each, in five shallops, 
composed the expedition; Raleigh, with the remain- 
der of his vessels, repairing to Trinidad to await the 
result. 

Since Raleigh's former expedition, the Spaniards 
had made a settlement upon the main laud, and 
founded a town to which they gave the name of St. 



320 ELDOBADO. 

Thomas. The governor resided there, and there were 
in all about five hundred inhabitants. On the 12th 
of January, the English flotilla reached a part of the 
river twelve leagues from St. Thomas ; and an Indian 
fisherman carried the alarm to that place. The gov- 
ernor, Palameque, mustered immediately the little 
force which he had at hand. This consisted of fifty- 
seven men only. Messengers were sent to summon 
those men who were at their farms, and two horse- 
men were sent out to watch the invaders' movements. 
At eleven in the forenoon, the vessels anchored 
about a league from the town. The men landed, and 
the scouts hastened back with the intelligence. A 
Spanish officer, with ten men, was placed in ambush 
near the city. As soon as he was informed of the 
direction which the English were taking, he cut a 
match-cord in pieces, which he lighted at dark, and 
placed at intervals, where they might deceive the in- 
vaders by presenting the appearance of a greater 
force. The first discharge was from two pieces of 
cannon against the boats. The Spaniard, with his 
little band, then opened his fire upon the troops, and 
kept it up from the bushes as he retired before them. 
This skirmishing continued about an hour and a half, 
till he had fallen back to the place where the gov- 



RALEIGH'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 321 

enior and liis people Avere drawn np, at the entrance 
of the city, to make a stand. It was now nine at 
night. Ealeigh says, in his account of the action, 
that some of the English, at the first charge, began to 
pause and recoil shamefully ; whereupon his son, not 
tarrying for anj^ musketeers, ran up at the head of a 
company of pikeraen, and received a shot wound. 
Pressing then upon a Spanish captain with his sword, 
the Spaniard, taking the small end of his musket in 
his hand, struck him on the head with the stock, and 
felled him. His last words were, '' Lord, have mercy 
upon me, and prosper the enterprise ! " and his death 
was instantly avenged by his sergeant, who thrust 
the Spaniard througli with his halberd. In the heat 
of the fight, and in the confusion which the darkness 
occasioned, the Spanish commander was separated 
from his people, and slain. The Spaniards, however, 
had the advantage of knowing the ground ; and, betak- 
ing themselves to the houses, they fired from them on 
the English, and killed many, till the assailants set 
fire to the houses ; thus depriving tiiemselves of that 
booty which was their main object. The English 
were now masters of the place ; the remainder of the 
defendants, with the women and children, under the 
command of Grades, the officer who had dci>orted 

■21 



322 F^LDOJiADO. 

himself so well in the first ambush, effecting their 
escape across the river. Grades stationed them at a 
place about ten miles distant from the town, where a 
few slight huts were erected for the women and chil- 
dren. * 

The captors searched in vain for gold in the city ; 
but they had an idea that there was a rich gold-mine 
a short distance up the river. Accordingly, two 
launches, with twenty or thirty men in each, were 
despatched up the Orinoco. They came to the mouth 
of the creek, which led to the place where Grades 
had hutted the women and children ; and the largest 
of the launches was about to enter, when Grados, 
who had posted nine of the invalids in ambush there, 
with about as many Indian bowmen, fired upon them 
so unexpected!}', and with such geod aim, that only 
one of the crew Is said to have escaped unhurt. The 
other launch also suffered some loss. Three days af- 
ter, three launches were sent to take vengeance for 
this defeat ; but Grados had removed his charge some 
two leagues into the country, and these vessels went 
up the river about a hundred leagues, treating with 
the Indians, to whom they made presents and larger 
promises, and after eighteen or twenty days returned, 
having effected nothing of importance. 



RALEIGH'S SECOND EXPEDITION. 323 

The English had lunv l)con four weeks in the city, 
annoyed by the Spaniards and Indians, and losing 
many of their men, cut off in their foraging excursions 
by ambushes. After the unsuccessful attempt to dis- 
cover the mine, no further effort was made for that 
purpose ; Keymis alleging in his excuse, that '• the 
Spaniards, being gone off in a whole body, lay in the 
woods between the mine and us, and it was impossi- 
ble, except they had been beaten out of the country, 
to pass up the woods and craggy hills without the 
loss of the commanders, without whom the rest would 
easily be cut to pieces." The English, accordingly, 
retreated from the city, setting fire to the few houses 
that remained, and promising the Indians, as they 
went, that they would return next year, and complete 
the destruction of the Spaniards. 

Raleigh was by no means satisfied with Keymis's 
excuses for his failure to discover the mine, and re- 
proached him with so much severity, that Keymis, 
after the interview, retired to his cabin, and shot him- 
self through the heart. 

When Raleigh arrived in England, he found that 
the tidings of his attack on the Spaniards, and the 
utter fiiilure of his expedition, had reached there be- 
ioxQ him. The Spanish ambassador was clamorous 



324 ELDORADO. 

for punishment on what he called a piratical proceed- 
ing; and the king and the nation, who might have 
pardoned a successful adventurer, had no indulgence 
to extend to one so much the reverse. Finding a 
proclamation had been issued for his arrest, Raleigh 
endeavored to escape to France, but was taken in the 
attempt, and committed close prisoner to the Tower. 
He was made a victim to court intrigue. The weak 
king, James, was then negotiating a Spanish match 
for his son, and, to gratify the King of Spain and his 
court, sacriiiced one of the noblest of his subjects. 
Without being put on trial for his late transactions, 
Raleigh's old sentence, which had been suspended 
sixteen years, was revived against him ; and on the 
29th of October, 1618, four months after his arrival, 
he was beheaded on the scaffold. 

The fate of Raleigh caused a great sensation at the 
time, and has not yet ceased to excite emotion. The 
poet Thomson, in his " Summer," finely alludes to the 
various circumstances of his history, which we have 
briefly recorded : — 

" But who can speak 
The numevoixs worthies of the ' Maitlen reign ' ? 
In Raleigh mark their every glory mixed, — 
Raleigh, the scourge of Spain, whose breast with all 
The sage, the jiatriot, and the hero, burned. 



BALEIGirS SECOND EXPEDITION. 325 

Nor sunk his vigor when a coward reign 
The warrior fettered, and at last resigned 
To glut the vengeance of a vanquished foe : 
Then, active still and unrestrained, his mind 
Explored the vast extent of ages past. 
And with his prison-hours enriched the world ; 
Yet found no times in all the long research 
So glorious or so base as those he proved 
In which he conquered and in which he bled." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS. 

A FTER so many abortive attempts to reach the 
Golden Empire, the ardor of research greatly 
abated. No expeditions, composed of considerable 
numbers, have since embarked in the enterprise ; but 
from time to time, for the century succeeding Ra- 
leigh's last attempt, private expeditions were under- 
taken and encouraged by provincial governors ; and 
several hundred persons perished miserably in those 
fruitless endeavors. 

The adventure we are now about to record was of 
an entirely different character in respect to its ob- 
jects and the means employed ; but it occupied the 
same field of action, and called into exercise the same 
qualities of courage and endurance. 

In 1735, the French Academy of Science made 
arrangements for sending out two commissions of 
learned men to different and distant parts of the 

320 



THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS. 327 

world to make measurements, with a view to deter- 
mining the dimensions and figure of the earth. The 
great astronomer, Sir Isaac Newton, had deduced 
from theory, and ventured to maintain, that the earth 
was not a perfect globe, but a spheroid ; that is, a 
globe flattened at the poles. For a long time after 
Newton's splendid discoveries in astronomy, a degree 
of national jealousy prevented the French philoso- 
phers from accepting his conclusions ; and they were 
not displeased to find, when they could, facts opposed 
to them. Now, there were some supposed facts which 
were incompatible with this idea of Newton's, that 
the earth was flattened at the poles. The point was 
capable of being demonstrated by measurements, with 
instruments, on the surface ; for, if his theory was true, 
a degree of latitude would be longer in the northern 
parts of the globe than in the regions about the equa- 
tor. 

We must not allow our story to become a scientific 
essay ; and yet we should Hke to give our readers, if 
we could, some idea of the principle on which this 
process, which is called the measurement of an arc of 
the meridian, was expected to show the magnitude 
and form of the earth. We all know that geographi- 
cal latitude means the position of places north or 



328 ELDOIiADO. 

south of the equator, and is determined by reference 
to the north or pule star. A person south of the 
equator would not see the pole-star at all. One at 
the equator, looking at the pole-star, would see it, if 
no intervening object prevented, in the horizon. Ad- 
vancing northward, he would see it apparently rise, 
and advance toward him. As he proceeded, it would 
continue to rise. When he had traversed half the 
distance to the pole, he would see the pole-star about 
as we see it in Boston ; that is, nearly midway between 
the horizon and the zenith : and, when he had reached 
the pole, he would see the pole-star directly over his 
head. Dividing the quarter circle which tlie star 
has moved througli into ninety parts, we say, when 
the star has ascended one-ninetieth part, that the ob- 
server has travelled over one degree of latitude. 
When the observer has reached Boston, he has passed 
over somewhat more than forty-two degrees, and, 
when he has reached the north-pole, ninety degrees, 
of latitude. Thus we measure our latitude over the 
earth's surface by reference to a circle in the heav- 
ens ; and, because the portions into which we divide 
that circle are equal, we infer that the portions of the 
earth's surface which correspond to them are equal. 
This would be true if the earth were a perfect globe : 



THE FRENCH PHILOkiOPHERS. 329 

but if the earth be a spheroid, as Newton's theory 
requires it to be, it would not be true ; for that por- 
tion of the earth's surface which is flattened ^ill have 
less curvature than that which is not so, and less still 
than that portion which is protuberant. The degrees 
of least curvature will be longest, and those of great- 
est curvature shortest ; that is, one would have to 
travel farther on the flattened part of the earth to 
see any difference in the position of the north-star 
than in those parts where the curvature is greater. 
So a degree of latitude near the pole, if determined 
by the position of the north-star, would be found, by 
actual measurement, to be longer than one similarly 
determined at the equator. It was to ascertain 
whether the fact was so that the two scientific expe- 
ditions were sent out. 

The party which was sent to the northern regions 
travelled over snow and ice, swamps and morasses, 
to the arctic circle, and fixed their station at Tornea, 
in Lapland. The frozen surface of the river afforded 
them a convenient level for fixing what is called by 
surveyors the base line. The cold was so intense, 
that the glass froze to the mouth when they drank, 
and the metallic measuring rod to the hand, in spite, 
however, of perils and discomforts, they persevered 



330 ELDORADO. 

in their task, and brought back careful measurements 
of a'degree in latitude 66° north, to be compared with 
those made by the other party at the equator, whose 
movements we propose more particularly to follow. 

Before we take leave of the northern commission- 
ers, however, we will mention another method they 
took of demonstrating the same fact. If the earth be 
depressed at the poles, it must follow that bodies will 
weigh heavier there, because they are nearer the 
centre of the earth. But how could they test this 
fact, when all weights would be increased alike, — the 
pound of feathers and the pound of lead ? The ques- 
tion was settled by observing the oscillation of a pen- 
dulum. The observers near the pole found that the 
pendulum vibrated faster than usual, because, being 
nearer the centre of the earth, the attracting power 
was increased. To balance this, they had to lengthen 
the pendulum ; and the extent to which they had to 
do this measured the difference between the earth's 
diameter at the poles, and that in the latitude from 
which they came. 

The commissioners who were sent to the equatorial 
regions were Messrs. Bouguer, La Condamine, and 
Godin, the last of whom was accompanied by his wife. 
Two Spanish officers, Messrs. Juan and De Ulloa, 



THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS. 331 

joined the commission. The party arrived at Quito 
in June, 1736, about two hundred years after Gonzalo 
Pizarro started from the same place in his search for 
Eldorado. In the interval, the country had become 
nominally Christian. The city was the seat of a 
bishopric, an audience royal, and other courts of 
justice ; contained many churches and convents, and 
two colleges. But the population was almost entirely 
composed of Indians, who lived in a manner but very 
little different from that of their ancestors at the time 
of the conquest. Cuen9a was the place next in impor- 
tance to the capital ; and there, or in its neighbor- 
hood, the chief labors of the commission were trans- 
acted. They were conducted under difficulties as 
great as those of their colleagues in the frozen regions 
of the north, but of a different sort. The inhabitants 
of the country were jealous of the French commis- 
sioners, and supposed them to be either heretics or 
sorcerers, and to have come in search of gold-mines. 
Even persons connected with the administration em- 
ployed themselves in stirring up the minds of the 
people, till at last, in a riotous assemblage at a bull- 
fight, the surgeon of the French commissioners was 
killed. After tedious and troublesome legal proceed- 
ings, the perpetrators were let off with a nominal 



332 ELDORADO. 

punishment. Notwithstanding every difBciilty, the 
commissioners completed their work in a satisfactory 
manner, spending in all eight years in the task, in- 
cluding the voyages out and home. 

The commissioners who had made the northern 
measurements reported the length of the degree at 
66° north latitude to be 57.422 toises ; Messrs. Buu- 
guer and La Condamine, the equatorial degree, 56.753 
toises ; showing a difference of 669 toises, or 4,389f 
feet. The difference, as corrected by later measure- 
ments, is stated by recent authorities at 3,662 English 
feet ; by which amount the polar degree exceeds the 
equatorial. Thus Newton's theory was confirmed. 

His scientific labors having been finished, La Con- 
damine conceived the idea of returning home by way 
of the Amazon River ; though difficulties attended the 
project, which we who live in a land of mighty rivers, 
traversed by steamboats, can hardly imagine. The 
only means of navigating the upper waters of the 
river was by rafts or canoes ; the latter capable of 
containing but one or two persons, besides a crew of 
seven or eight boatmen. The only persons who were 
in the habit of passing up and down the river were 
the Jesuit missionaries, who made their periodical 
visits to their stations along its banks. A young 



THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS. 333 

Spanish gentlemau, Don Pedro Maldonado, who at 
first eagerly caught at the idea of accompanying the 
French philosopher on his homeward route by way 
of the river, was almost discouraged by the dissua- 
sives urged by his family and friends, and seemed in- 
clined to withdraw from the enterprise ; so danger- 
ous was the untried route esteemed. It was, how- 
, ever, at length resolved that they should hazard the 
adventure ; and a place of rendezvous was appointed 
at a village on the river. On the -Ith of July, 1743, 
La Condamine commenced his descent of one of the 
streams which flow into the great river of the Ama- 
zons. The stream was too precipitous in its descent 
to be navigated by boats of any kind, and the only 
method used was by rafts. These are made of a 
light kind of wood, or rather cane, similar to the bam- 
boo, the single pieces of which are fastened together 
by rushes, in such a manner, that they yield to every 
shock of moderate violence, and consequently are not 
subject to be separated even by the strongest. On 
such a conveyance, the French philosopher glided 
down the stream of the Chuchunga, occasionally stop- 
ping on its banks for a day or two at a time to allow 
the waters to abate, and admit of passing a dangerous 
rapid more safely ; and sometimes getting fast on the 



334 ELDORADO. 

shallows, and requiring to be drawn off by ropes by 
the Indian boatmen. It was not till the 19th of July 
that he entered the main river at Laguna, where he 
found his friend Maldonado, who had been waiting 
for him some weeks. 

On the 23d of July, 1743, they embarked in two 
canoes of forty-two and forty-four feet long, each 
formed out of one single trunk of a tree, and each * 
provided with a crew of eight rowers. They contin- 
ued their course night and day, in hopes to reach, 
before their departure, the brigantines of the mission- 
aries, in which they used to send once a year, to 
Para, the cacao which they collected in their missions, 
and for which they got, in return, supplies of Euro- 
pean articles of necessity. 

On the 25th of July, La Condamine and his com- 
panion passed the village of a tribe of Indians lately 
brought under subjection, and in all the wildness of 
savage life : on the 27th, they reached another more 
advanced in civilization, yet not so far as to have 
abandoned their savage practices of artificially flat- 
tening their heads, and elongating their ears. The 
1st of August, they landed at a missionary station, 
where they found numerous Indians assembled, and 
some tribes so entirely barbarous as to be destitute 



THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS. 335 

of clothing for either sex. " There are in the inte- 
rior," the narration goes on to say, " some tribes 
which devour the prisoners taken in war ; but there 
are none such on. the banks of the river." 

After leaving this station, they sailed day and 
night, equal to seven or eight days' journey, without 
seeing any habitation. On the 5th of August, they 
arrived at the first of the Portuguese missionary sta- 
tions, where they procured larger and more commodi- 
ous boats than those in which they had advanced 
hitherto. Here they began to see the first signs of 
the benefits of access to European sources of supply, 
by means of the vessel which went every year from 
Para to Lisbon. They tarried six days at the last of 
the missionary stations, and again made a change of 
boats and of Indian crews. On the 28tli August, 
being yet six hundred miles from the sea, they per- 
ceived the ebb and flow of the tide. 

On the 19th September, they arrived at Para, 
which La Condamiue describes as a great and beauti- 
ful city, built of stone, and enjoying a commerce with 
Lisbon, which made it flourishing and increasing. 
He observes, " It is, perhaps, the only European 
settlement where silver does not pass for money ; 
the whole currency being cocoa." He adds in a 



336 ELDORADO. 

note, " Specie currency has been since intro- 
duced." 

The Portuguese authorities received the philoso- 
phers with all the civilities and hospitalities due to 
persons honored with the special protection and coun- 
tenance of two great nations, — France and Spain. The 
cannon were fired ; and the soldiers of the garrison, 
with the governor of the province at their head, 
turned out to receive them. The governor had re- 
ceived orders from the home government to pay all 
their expenses, and to furaish them every thing requi- 
site for their comfort and assistance in their re- 
searches. La Condamine remained three months at 
Para; and then, declining the urgent request of the 
governor to embark in a Portuguese vessel for home 
by way of Lisbon, he embarked in a boat rowed by 
twentj-two Indians, under the command of a Portu- 
guese officer, to coast along the shores of the conti- 
nent to the French colony of Cayenne. 

The city of Para from whence he embarked is not 
situated upon the Amazon River, but upon what is 
called the River of Par4, which branches off from the 
Amazon near its mouth, and discharges itself into the 
sea at a. distance of more than a hundred miles 
east of the Amazon. The intervening land . is an 



THE FRENCH PHILOSOPHERS. 337 

island called Marajo, along the coast of which La Con- 
damine and his party steered till they came to the 
place where the Amazon River discharges into the 
sea that vast bulk of waters which has been swelled 
by the contributions of numerous tributaries through- 
out a course of more than three thousand miles in 
length. It here meets the current which runs along 
the north-eastern coast of Brazil, and gives rise to 
that phenomenon which is called by the Indians Poro- 
roca. The river and the current, having both great 
rapidity, and meeting nearly at right angles, come 
into contact with great violence, and raise a mountain 
of water to the height of one hundred and eighty 
feet. The shock is so dreadful, that it makes all the 
neighboring islands tremble ; and fishermen and navi- 
gators fly from it in the utmost terror. The river 
and the ocean appear to contend for the empire of the 
waves : but they seem to come to a compromise ; 
for the sea-current continues its way along the coast 
of Guiana to the Island of Trinidad, while the current 
of the river is still observable in the ocean at a dis- 
tance of five hundred miles from the shore. 

La Condamine passed this place of meeting in 
safety by waiting for a favorable course, of tides, 
crossing the Amazon at its mouth, steering north ; 

22 



338 ELDORADO. 

and after many delays, caused by the timidity and 
bad seamanship of his Indian crew, arrived at last 
safe at Cayenne on the 26th February, 1744, having 
been eight months on his voyage, two of which were 
spent in his passage from Pard, a passage which he 
avers a French officer and crew, two years after him, 
accomplished in six days. La Condamine was re- 
ceived with all possible distinction at Cayenne, and 
in due time found passage home to France, where he 
arrived 25th February, 1745. 



CHAPTER IX. 

MADAME GODIN'S VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON. 

/^NE of the French commissioners, M. Godin, had 
^"^^ taken with him on his scientific errand to Peru 
his wife ; a lady for whom we bespeak the kind interest 
of our readers, for her name deserves honorable men- 
tion among the early navigators of the Amazon. The 
labors of the commission occupied several years ; and 
when, in the year 1742, those labors were happily 
brought to a conclusion, M. Godin was prevented, by 
circumstances relating to himself individually, from 
accompanying his colleagues in their return to France. 
His detention was protracted from year to year, till 
at last, in 1749, he repaired alone to the Island of 
Cayenne to prepare every thing necessary for the 
homeward voyage of himself and his wife. 

From Cayenne he wrote to Paris to the minister of 
marine, and requested that his government would 
procure for him the favorable interposition of the 

339 



340 ELDORADO. 

court of Portugal to supply him with the means of 
ascending the River Amazon to bring away his wife 
from Peru, and descend the stream with her to the 
Island of Cayenne. Thirteen years had rolled by since 
their arrival in the country, when at last Madame 
Godin saw her earnest wish to return home likely to 
be gratified. All that time, she had lived apart from 
her husband ; she in Peru, he in the French colony of 
Cayenne. At last, M. Godin had the pleasure to see 
the arrival of a galiot (a small vessel having from six- 
teen to twenty oars on a side, and well adapted for 
rapid progress), which had been fitted out by the 
order of the King of Portugal, and despatched to Cay- 
enne for the purpose of taking him on his long-wished- 
for journey. He immediately embarked ; but, before 
he could reach the mouth of the Amazon River, he was 
attacked by so severe an illness, that he saw himself 
compelled to stop at Oyapoc, a station between Cay 
enne and the mouth of the river, and there to remain 
and to send one Tristan, whom he thought his friend 
in lieu of himself, up the river to seek Madame Godin 
and escort her to him. He intrusted to him also, be 
sides the needful money, various articles of merchan 
dise to dispose of to the best advantage. The 
instructions which he gave him were as follows : — 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON. 341 

The galiot had orders to convey him to Loreto, 
about half-way up the Amazon River, the first Spanish 
settlement. From there he was to go to Laguna, 
another Spanish town about twelve miles farther up, 
and to give Mr. Godin's letter, addressed to his wife, 
in charge to a certain ecclesiastic of that place, to bo 
forwarded to the place of her residence. He himself 
was to wait at Laguna the arrival of Madame Godin. 

The galiot sailed, and arrived safe at Loreto. But 
the faithless Tristan, instead of going himself to La- 
guna, or sending the letter there, contented himself 
with delivering the packet to a Spanish Jesuit, who 
was going to quite another region on some occasional 
purpose. Tristan himself, in the mean while, went 
round among the Portuguese settlements to sell his 
commodities. The result was, that M. Godin's letter, 
passing from hand to hand, failed to reach the place 
of its destination. 

Meanwhile, by Avhat means we know not, a blind 
rumor of the purpose and object of the Portuguese 
vessel lying at Loreto reached Peru, and came at last, 
but without any distinctness, to the ears of Madame 
Godin. She learned through this rumor that a letter 
irom her husband was on the way to her; but all her 
efforts to get possession of it were fruitless. At last, 



342 ELDORADO. 

she resolved to send a faithful negro servant, in com- 
pany with an Indian, to the Amazon, to procure, if pos- 
sible, more certain tidings. This faithful servant made 
his way boldly through all hinderances and diflSculties 
which beset his journey, reached Loreto, talked with 
Tristan, and brought back intelligence that he, with 
the Portuguese vessel and all its equipments, were 
for her accommodation, and waited her orders. 

Now, then, Madame God in determined to undertake 
this most perilous and difficult journey. She was 
staying at the time at Riobamba, about one hundred 
and twenty miles south of Quito, where she had a 
house of her own with garden and grounds. These, 
with all other things that she could not take with her, 
she sold on the best terms she could. Her father, M. 
Grandmaison, and her two brothers, who had been 
living with her in Peru, were ready to accompany her. 
The former set out beforehand to a place the other 
side of the Cordilleras to make arrangements for his 
daughter's journey on her way to the ship. 

Madame Godin received about this time a visit 
from a certain Mr. R., who gave himself out for a 
French physician, and asked permission to accompa- 
ny her. He promised, moreover, to watch over her 
health, and to do all in his power to lighten the fatigues 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON. 343 

and discomforts of the arduous journey. She replied, 
that she had no authority over the vessel which was 
to carry her, and therefore could not answer for it 
that he could have a place in it. Mr. R., thereupon, 
applied to the brothers of Madame Godin ; and they, 
thinking it very desirable that she should have a phy- 
sician with her, persuaded their sister to consent to 
take him in her company. 

So, then, she started from Riobamba, which had been 
her home till this time, the 1st of October, 1749, in 
company of the above-named persons, her black man, 
and three Indian women. Thirty Indians, to carry 
her baggage, completed her company. Had the luck- 
less lady known what calamities, sufferings, and disap- 
pointments awaited her, she would have trembled at 
the prospect, and doubted of the possibility of living 
through it all, and reaching the wished-for goal of her 
journey. 

The party went first across the mountains to Cane- 
los, an Indian village, where they thought to embark 
on a little stream which discharges itself into the Am- 
azon. The way thither was so wild and unbroken, 
that it was not even passable for mules, and must be 
travelled entirely on foot. 

M. Grandmaison, who had set out a whole month 



344 ELDORADO. 

earlier, had stopped at Canelos no longer than was 
necessary to make needful preparations for his daugh- 
ter and her attendants. Then he had immediately 
pushed on toward the vessel, to still keep in advance, 
and arrange matters for her convenience at the next 
station to which she would arrive. Hardly had he 
left Canelos, when the small-pox, a disease which in 
those regions is particularly fatal, broke out, and in 
one week swept off one-half of the inhabitants, and so 
alarmed the rest, that they deserted the place, and 
plunged into the wilderness. Consequently, when 
Madame Godin reached the place with her party, she 
found, to her dismay, only two Indians remaining, 
whom the fury of the plague had spared ; and, more- 
over, not the slightest preparation either for her 
reception, or her furtherance on her journey. This 
was the first considerable mishap which befell her, 
and wliich might have served to forewarn her of the 
greater sufferings which she was to encounter. 

A second followed shortly after. The thirty Indi- 
ans who thus far had carried the baggage, and had 
received their pay in advance, suddenly absconded, 
whether from fear of the epidemic, or that they 
fancied, having never seen a vessel except at a 
distance, that they were to be compelled to go on 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON. 345 

board one, and be carried away. There stood, then, 
the deserted and disappointed company, overwhelmed, 
and knowing not what course to take, or how to help 
themselves. The safest course would have been to 
leave all their baggage to its fate, and return back 
the way they came ; but the longing of Madame Go- 
din for her beloved husband, from whom she had now 
been separated so many years, gave her courage to 
bid defiance to all the hinderances which lay in her 
way, and even to attempt impossibilities. 

She set herself, therefore, to persuade the two Indi- 
ans above mentioned to construct a boat, and, by 
means of it, to take her and her company to Andoas, 
another place about twelve days' journey distant. 
They willingly complied, receiving their pay in ad- 
vance. The boat was got ready ; and all the party 
embarked in it under the management of the two 
Indians. 

After they had run safely two days' journey down 
the stream, they drew up to the bank to pass the night 
on shore. Here the treacherous Indians took the op- 
portunity, while the weary company slept, to run 
away ; and, when the travellers awoke next morning, 
they were nowhere to be found. This was a new and 
unforeseen calamity, by which their future progress 
was rendered greatly more hazardous. 



346 ELDOBADO. 

Without a knowledge of the stream or the country, 
and without a guide, they again got on board their 
boat, and pushed on. The first day went by without 
any misadventure. The second, they came up with a 
boat which lay near the shore, alongside of an Indian 
hut built of branches of trees. They found there an 
Indian, just recovered from the sickness, and pre- 
vailed on him, by presents, to embark with them to 
take the helm. But fate envied them this relief: for, 
the next day, Mr. R.'s hat fell into the water ; and the 
Indian, in endeavoring to recover it, fell overboard, and 
was drowned, not having strength to swim to the 
shore. 

Now was the vessel again without a pilot, and steered 
by persons, not one of whom had the least knowledge 
of the course. Ere long, the vessel sprung a leak ; and 
the unhappy company found themselves compelled to 
land, and build a hut to shelter them. 

They Avere yet five or six days' journey from An- 
doas, the nearest place of destination. Mr. R. offered, 
for himself and another Frenchman his companion, to 
go thither, and make arrangements, that, within four- 
teen days, a boat from there should arrive and bring 
them off. His proposal was approved of. Madame 
Godin gave him her faithful black man to accompany 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON. 347 

him. He himself took good care that nothing of his 
property should be left behind.. 

Fourteen days were now elapsed ; but in vain they 
strained their eyes to catch sight of the bark which 
Mr. R. had promised to send to their relief. They 
waited twelve days longer, but in vain. Their situa- 
tion grew more painful every day. 

At last, when all hope in this quarter was lost, they 
hewed trees, and fastened them together as well as 
they could, and made in this way a raft. When they 
had finished it, they put on their baggage, and seated 
themselves upon it, and suffered it to float down the 
stream. But even this frail bark required a steers- 
man acquainted with navigation ; but they had none 
such. In no long time, it struck against a sunken log, 
and broke to pieces. The people and their baggage 
were cast into the river. Great, however, as was the 
danger, no one was lost. Madame Godin sunk twice 
to the bottom, but was at last rescued by her brothers. 

Wet through and through, exhausted, and half dead 
with fright, they at last all gained the shore. But 
only imagine their lamentable, almost desperate, con- 
dition ! All their supplies lost ; to make another raft 
impossible ; even their stock of provisions gone ! 
And where were they when all these difficulties over- 



348 ELDORADO. 

whelmed them? In a horrid wilderness, so thick 
grown up with trees and bushes, that one could make 
a passage through it no other way than by axe and 
knife ; inhabited only by fiercest tigers, and by the 
most formidable of serpents, — the rattlesnake. More- 
over, they were without tools, without weapons ! 
Could their situation be more deplorable? 



CHAPTER X. 

MADAME GODIN'S VOYAGE CONTINUED. 

rpHE unfortunate travellers had now but the choice 
of two desperate expedients, — either to wait 
where they were the termination of their wretched 
existence, or try the almost impossible task of pene- 
trating along the banks of the river, through the un- 
broken forest, till they might reach Andoas. They 
chose the latter, but first made their way back to their 
lately forsaken hut to take what little provisions they 
had there left. Having accomplished this, they set 
out on their most painful and dangerous journey. 
They observed, when they followed the shore of the 
river, that its windings lengthened their way. To 
avoid this, they endeavored, without leaving the 
course of the river, to keep a straight course. By 
this means, they lost themselves in the entangled for- 
est ; and every exertion to find their way was ineffect- 
ual. Their clothes were torn to shreds, and hung 

349 



350 ELDORADO. 

dangling from their limbs ; their bodies were sadly 
wounded by thorns and briers ; and, as their scanty 
provision of food was almost gone, nothing seemed 
left to them but to sustain their wretched existence 
with wild fruit, seeds and buds of the palm-trees. 

At last, they sank under their unremitted labor. 
Wearied with the hardships of such travel, torn and 
bleeding in every part of their bodies, and distracted 
with hunger, terror, and apprehensions, they lost the 
small remnant of their energy, and could do no more. 
They sat down, and had no power to rise again. In 
three or four days, one after another died at this stage 
of their journey. Madame Godin lay for the space of 
twenty-four hours by the side of her exhausted and 
helpless brothers and companions : she felt herself 
benumbed, stupefied, senseless, yet at the same time 
tormented by burning thirst. At last, Providence, on 
whom she relied, gave her courage and strength to 
rouse herself and seek for a rescue, which was in store 
for her, though she knew not where to look for it. 

Around lay the dead bodies of her brothers and her 
other companions, — a sight which at another time 
would have broken her heart. She was almost naked. 
The scanty remnants of her clothing were so torn bj^ 
the thorns as to be almost useless. She cut the shoes 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 351 

from her dead brothers' feet, bound the soles under 
her own, and plunged again into the thicket in search 
of something to allay her raging hunger and thirst. 
Terror at seeing herself so left alone in such a fear- 
ful wilderness, deserted by all the world, and appre- 
hension of a dreadful death constantly hovering before 
her eyes, made such an impression upon her, that her 
hair turned gray. 

It was not till the second day after: she had resumed 
her wandering that she found water, and, a little while 
after, some wild fruit, and a few eggs of birds. But 
her throat was so contracted by long fasting, that 
she could hardly swallow. These served to keep life 
in her frame. 

Eight long days she wandered in this manner hope- 
lessly, and strove to sustain her wretched existence. 
If one should read in a work of fiction any thing equal 
to it, he would charge the author with exaggeration, 
and violation of probability. But it is history ; and, 
however incredible her story may sound, it is rigidly 
conformed to the truth in all its circumstances, as it 
was afterwards taken down from the mouth of Ma- 
dame Godin herself 

On the eighth day of her hopeless wandering, the 
hapless lady reached the banks of the Bobonosa, a 



352 ELDORADO. 

stream which flows into, the Amazon. At the break 
of day, she heard at a little distance a noise, and was 
alarmed at it. She would have fled, but at once re- 
flected that nothing worse than her present circum- 
stances could happen to her. She took courage, and 
went towards the place whence the sound proceeded ; 
and here she found two Indians, who were occupied 
in shoving their boat into the water. 

Madame Godin approached, and was kindly received 
by them. She told to them her desire to be conveyed 
to Andoas ; and the good savages consented to carry 
her thither in their boat. They did so ; and now be- 
hold her arrived at that place vi^hich the mean and 
infamous treachery of Mr. R. was the only cause of 
her not having reached long ago. This base fellow 
had, with unfeeling cruelty, thrown to the winds his 
promise to procure them a boat, and had gone- on 
business of his own to Omaguas, a Spanish mission 
station, without in the least troubling himself about his 
pledged word, and the rescue of the unfortunates left 
behind. The honest negro was more true to duty, 
though he was born and bred a heathen, and the other 
a Christian. 

"While the civilized and polished Frenchman unfeel- 
ingly went away, and left his benefactress and her 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 353 

companions to languish in the depths of misery, the 
sable heathen ceased not his exertions till he had pro- 
cured two Indians to go up the river with him, and 
bring away his deserted mistress and her compan- 
ions. But, most unfortunately, he did not reach the 
hut where he had left them before they had carried 
into execution the unlucky determination to leave the 
hut, and seek their way through the wilderness. So 
he had the pain of failing to find her on his arrival. 

Even then, the faithful creature did not feel as if all 
was done. He, with his Indian companions, followed 
the traces of the party till he came to the place where 
the bodies of the perished adventurers lay, which 
were already so decayed, that he coul.d not distinguish 
one from the other. This pitiable sight led him to 
conclude that none of the company could have escaped 
death. He returned to the hut to take away some 
things of Madame Godin's which were left there, and 
carried them not only back with him to Andoas, but 
from thence (another touching proof of his fidelity) to 
Omaguas, that he might deposit the articles, some of 
which were of considerable value, in the hands of the 
unworthy Mr. R., to be by him delivered to the father 
of his lamented mistress. 

And how did this unworthy Mr. R. behave when 

23 



354 ELDORADO. 

he was apprised by the negro of the lamentable death 
of those whom he had so unscrupulously given over to 
destitution? Did he shudder at the magnitude and 
baseness of his crime ? Oh, no ! Like a heartless 
knave, he added dishonesty to cruelty, took the things 
into his keeping, and, to secure himself in the posses- 
sion of them, sent the generous negro back to Quito. 
Joachim — for that was the name of this honest and 
noble black man — had unluckily set out on his jour- 
ney back before Madame Godin arrived at Andoas. 
Thus he was lost to her ; and her affliction at the loss 
of such a tried friend showed that the greatness of her 
past misfortunes had not made her incapable of feel- 
ing new distresses. 

In Andoas she found a Christian priest, a Spanish 
missionary ; and the behavior of this unchristian Chris- 
tian contrasts with the conduct of her two Indian 
preservers, as that of the treacherous R. with that of 
the generous negro. For instance, when Madame 
Godin was in embarrassment how to show her grati- 
tude to the good Indians who had saved her life, she 
remembered, that, according to the custom of the coun- 
try, she wore around her neck a pair of gold chains, 
weighing about four ounces. These were her whole 
remaining property ; but she hesitated not a moment, 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 355 

but took them off, and gave one to each of her benefac- 
tors. They were dehghted beyond measure at such a 
gift ; but the avaricious and dishonest priest took them 
away from them before the face of the generous giver, 
and gave them instead some yards of coarse cotton 
cloth, which they call, in that country, Tukujo. And 
this man was one of those who were sent to spread 
Christianity among the heathen, and one from whom 
those same Indians whom he had treated, so dishon- 
estly would hear the lesson, " Thou shalt not covet 
th}'' neighbor's goods " ! 

Madame Godin felt, at seeing such unchristian and 
unmanly behavior, such deep disgust, that, as soon 
as she was somewhat recruited from the effects of so 
many sufferings, she longed for a sight of some boat 
to enable her to escape from the companionship of this 
unjust priest, and get to Laguna, one of the afore- 
mentioned Spanish mission stations. A kind Indian 
woman made her a petticoat of cotton cloth, though 
Madame Godin had nothing to give her in payment 
for it. But this petticoat was to her, afterwards, a 
sacred thing, that she would not have parted with for 
any price. She laid it carefully away with the slip- 
pers which she made of her brothers' shoes, and never 



356 ELDORADO. . 

could, in after-times, look at the two without experi- 
eDcing a rush of sad and tender recollections. 

At Laguna she had the good fortune to find a mis- 
sionary of better disposition. This one received her 
with kindness and sympathy, and exerted himself 
every way he could to restore her health, shattered 
by so much suffering. He wrote also on her behalf 
to the Governor of Omaguas, to beg him to aid in ex- 
pediting her journey. By this means, the elegant Mr. 
E. learned that she was still alive ; and as she was not 
likely in future to be burdensome to him, while he 
might, through her means, get a passage in the Por- 
tuguese vessel, he failed not to call upon her at 
Laguna. He delivered to her there some few of the 
things which Joachim had left in his charge ; but to 
the question, " What had become of the rest ? " he had 
no other answer to make but " They were spoilt." 
The knave forgot, when he said this, that gold brace- 
lets, snuff-boxes, ear-rings, and pearls, of which this 
property consisted, are not apt to spoil. 

Madame Godin could not forbear making to him the 
well-merited reproach that he was the cause of »her 
late sufferings, and guilty of the mournful death of 
her brothers and her other companions. She desired 
to know, moreover, why he had sent away her faithful 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 357 

servant, the good Joachim ; and his unworthy reply 
was, he had apprehensions that he would murder 
him. To the question, how he could have such a 
suspicion against a man whose tried fidelity and hon- 
est disposition were known to him, he knew not what 
to answer. 

The good missionary explained to Madame Godin, 
after she was somewhat recruited from her late suffer- 
ings, the frightful length of the way, and the labors and 
dangers of her journey yet to come, and tried hard to 
induce her to alter her intention, and return to Rio 
Bambas, her former residence, instead of setting forth 
to encounter a new series of disappointments and 
perils. He promised, in that case, to convey her 
safely and with comfort. But the heroic woman re- 
jected the proposal with immovable firmness. " God, 
who had so wonderfully protected her so far," she 
said, " would have her in his keeping for the remain- 
der of her way. She had but one wish remaining, and 
that was to be re-united to her husband ; and she 
knew no danger terrible enough to induce her to give 
up this one ruling desire of her heart." 

The missionary, therefore, had a boat got ready to 
carry her to the Portuguese vessel. The Governor 
of Omaguas furnished the boat, and supplied it Avell 



358 ELDORADO. 

with provisions : and, that the commander of the Por- 
tuguese galiot might be informed of her approach, he 
sent a smaller boat with provisions, and two soldiers 
by land, along the banks of the river, and betook him- 
self to Loreto, where the galiot had been so long 
lying ; and there he waited till Madame Godin arrived. 

She still suffered severely from the consequences 
of the injuries which she had sustained during her 
wanderings in the wilderness. Particularly, the 
thumb of one hand, in which she had thrust a thorn, 
which they had not been able to get out, was in a bad 
condition. The bone itself was become carious, and 
she found it necessary to have the flesh cut open to 
allow fragments of the bone to come out. As for the 
rest, she experienced from the commander of the Por- 
tuguese vessel all possible kindness, and reached the 
mouth of the Amazon River without any further mis- 
adventure. 

Mr. Godin, who still continued at Oyapoc (the same 
place where on account of sickness he had been obliged 
to stop), was no sooner informed of the approach of 
his wife than he went on board a vessel, and coasted 
along the shore till he met the galiot. The joy of 
again meeting, after a separation of so many 
years, and after such calamities undergone, was, as 



VOYAGE DOWN THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 359 

may well be supposed, on both sides, indescribably 
great. Their re-union seemed like a resurrection from 
the dead, since both of them had more than once 
given up all hope of ever seeing the other in this life. 
The happy husband now conveyed his wife to Oya- 
poc, and thence to Cayenne ; whence they departed 
on their return to France, in company with the vener- 
able Mr. De Grandmaison. Madame Godin remained, 
however, constantly sad, notwithstanding her present 
ample cause for joy : and every endeavor to raise her 
spirits was fruitless, so deep and inextinguishable an 
impression had the terrible sufferings she had under- 
gone made upon her mind. She spoke unwillingly of 
all that she had suffered ; and even her husband found 
out with difficulty, and by little and little, the circum- 
stances which we have narrated, taken from accounts 
under his own hand. He thought he could thereby 
infer that she had kept to herself, to spare his feelings, 
many circumstances of a distressing nature, which she 
herself preferred to forget. Her heart, too, was, by 
reason of her sufferings, so attuned to pity and for- 
bearance, that her compassion even extended to the 
base and wicked men who had treated her with such 
injustice. She would therefore add nothing to induce 
her husband to invoke the vengeance of the law 



360 ELDORADO. 

against the faithless Tristan, the first cause of all her 
misfortunes, who had converted to his own use many- 
thousand dollars' worth of property which had been 
intrusted to him. She had even allowed herself to be 
pursuaded to take on board the boat from Omaguas 
down, for a second time, the mean-souled Mr, R. 

So true is it that adversity and suffering do fulfil 
the useful purpose of rendering the human heart 
tender, placable, and indulgent. 



CHAPTER XL 

herndon's expedition. 

TN the month of August, 1850, Lieut. Herndon, of 
the United-States navy, being on board the frig- 
ate " Vandalia," then lying at anchor in the harbor of 
Valparaiso, received information that he was desig- 
nated by the Secretary of the Navy to explore the 
Valley of the Amazon. On the 4th of April, being 
then at Lima, he received his orders, and, on the 21st 
of May, commenced his land journey to the highest 
point on the Amazon navigable for boats, which is 
about three hundred miles from its source ; in which 
distance there are twenty-seven rapids, the last of 
which is called the Pongo (or falls) de Manseriche. 
Over these the water rushes with frightful rapidity ; 
but they are passed, with great peril and diflSculty, 
by means of rafts. From the Pongo de Manse- 
riche, Lieut. Herndon states that an unbroken chan- 
nel of eighteen feet in depth may be found to the 

861 



362 ELDOIiADO. 

Atlantic Ocean, — a distance of three thousand 
miles. 

The party consisted of Lieut. Herndon, commander; 
Passed-midsliipman Gibbon ; a young master's mate 
named Richards ; a young Peruvian, who had made 
the voyage down the Amazon a few years before, 
who was employed as interpreter to the Indians ; 
and Mauricio, an Indian servant. They were mounted 
on mules ; and their baggage of all kinds, including 
looking-glasses, beads, and other trinkets for the In- 
dians, and some supplies of provisions, were carried 
also on muleback, under the charge of an arriero, 
or muleteer, who was an Indian. The party were 
furnished with a tent, which often came in use 
for nightly shelter, as the roadside inns furnished 
none, and the haciendas, or farm-houses, which 
they sometimes availed themselves of, afforded but 
poor accommodation. The following picture of the 
lieutenant's first night's lodgings, not more than ten 
miles from Lima, is a specimen : " The house was 
built of adobe, or sun-dried bricks, and roofed with 
tiles. It had but one room, which was the general 
receptacle for all comers. A mud projection, of two 
feet high and three wide, stood out from the Avails of 
the room all around, and served as a permanent bed- 



VALLEY OF THE AIIAZON. 363 

place, for numbers. Others laid their blankets and 
cloaks, and stretched themselves, on the floor ; so 
that, with whites, Indians, negroes, trunks, packages, 
horse-furniture, game-cocks, and guinea-pigs, we had 
quite a caravansera appearance." 

The lieutenant found the general answer to his in- 
quiry for provisions for his party, and of fodder for 
their animals, was, " No hay " (there is none). The 
refusal of the people to sell supplies of these indis- 
pensable articles was a source of continued inconve- 
nience. It arose probably from their fear to have it 
known that they had possessions, lest the hand of 
authority should be laid upon them, and their prop- 
erty be taken without payment. The cultivators, it 
must be remembered, are native Indians, under the 
absolute control of their Spanish masters, and have 
no recognized rights protected by law. While this 
state of things continues, civilization is effectually 
debarred progress. 

The usual day's travel was twelve to fifteen miles. 
The route ascended rapidly; and the River Rimac, 
along whose banks their road lay, was soon reduced 
to a mountain torrent, raging in foam over the frag- 
ments of the rocky cliffs which overhung its bed. 
The road occasionaHy widened out, and gave room 
for a little cultivation. 



364 ELDORADO. 

May 27. — They had now reached a height of ten 
thousand feet above the level of the sea. Here the 
traveller feels that he is lifted above the impurities 
of the lower regions of the atmosphere, and is breath- 
ing air free from taint. The stars sparkled with in- 
tense brilliancy. The temperature at night was get- 
ting cool, and the travellers found they required all 
their blankets. But by day the heat was oppressive 
until tempered by the sea-breeze, which set in about 
eleven o'clock in the morning. 

The productions of the country are Indian corn, 
alfalfa (a species of lucern), and potatoes. The po- 
tato, in this its native country, is small, but very fine. 
They saw here a vegetable of the potato kind called 
oca. Boiled or roasted, it is very agreeable to the 
taste, in flavor resembling green corn. 

Here they entered upon the mining region. " The 
Earth here shows her giant skeleton bare : mountains, 
rather than rocks, rear their gray heads to the skies ; 
and proximity made the scene more striking and sub- 
lime.'"' Lieut. Herndon had brought letters to the 
superintendent of the mines, who received the trav- 
ellers kindly and hospitably. This establishment is 
managed by a superintendent and three assistants, 
and about forty working hands. The laborers are 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON. 



365 



Indians, — stroDg, hardy-looking fellows, though low 
in stature, and stupid in expression. The manner of 
getting the silver from the ore is this : The ore is 
broken into pieces of the size of an English walnut, 
and then ground to a fine powder. The ground ore 
is then mixed with salt, at the rate of fifty pounds of 
salt to every six hundred of ore, and taken to the 
ovens to be toasted. After being toasted, the ore is 
laid in piles of about six hundred pounds upon the 
stone floor. The piles are then moistened with 
water, and quicksilver is sprinkled on them through 
a woollen cloth. The mass is well mixed by treading 
with the feet, and working with hoes. A little cal- 
cined iron pyrites, called magistrcd, is also added. 
The pile is often examined to see if the amalgamation 
is going on well. It is left to stand for eight or nine 
days until the amalgamation is complete ; then carried 
to an elevated platform, and thrown into a well, or 
cavity : a stream of water is turned on, and four or 
five men trample and wash it with their feet. The 
amalgam sinks to the bottom, and the mud and water 
are let off by an aperture in the lower part of the 
well. The amalgam is then put into conical bags of 
coarse linen, which are hung up ; and the weight of 
the mass presses out a quantity of quicksilver, which 



366 ELDORADO. 

oozes through the linen, and is caught in vessels bel- 
low. The mass, now dry, and somewhat harder than 
putty, is carried to the ovens, where the remainder 
of the quicksilver is driven oflf by heat, and the resi- 
due is plata pina, or pure silver. The proportion of 
pure silver in the amalgam is about twenty-two per 
cent. This is an unusually rich mine. 

Returning from the mine, the party met a drove of 
llamas on their way from the hacienda. This is quite 
an imposing sight, especially when the drove is en- 
countered suddenly at a turn of the road. The lead- 
er, who is always selected on account of his superior 
height, has his head decorated with tufts of woollen 
fringe, hung with little bells ; and his great height 
(often six feet), gallant and graceful carriage, pointed 
ear, restless eye, and quivering lip, as he faces you 
for a moment, make him as striking an object as one 
can well conceive. Upon pressing on him, he bounds 
aside either up or down the clifi', and is followed by 
the herd, scrambling over places that would be im- 
passable for the mule or the ass. The llama travels 
not more than nine or ten miles a day, his load being 
about one hundred and thirty pounds. He will not 
carry more, and will be beaten to death rather than 
move when he is overloaded or tired. The males 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON. 367 

only are worked : they appear gentle and docile, 
but, when irritated, have a very savage look, and spit 
at the object of their resentment. The guanaco, or 
alpaca, is another species of this animal, and the 
vicunia a third. The guanaco is as large as the 
llama, and bears a fleece of long and coarse wool. 
The vicunia is much smaller, and its wool is short and 
fine : so valuable is it, that it brings at the port of 
shipment a dollar a pound. Our travellers saw no 
guanacos, but now and then, in crossing the moun- 
tains; caught a glimpse of the wild and shy vicunia. 
They go in herds of ten or fifteen females, accom- 
panied by one male, who is ever on the alert. On 
the approach of danger, he gives warning by a shrill 
whistle ; and his charge make off with the speed of 
the wind. 

On the 31st of May, the thermometer stood at 
thirty-six degrees at five, a.m. This, it must be re- 
membered, was in the tomd zone, in the same lati- 
tude as Congo in Africa, and Sumatra in xisia ; yet 
how different the climate ! This is owing to the ele- 
vation, which at this water-shed of the continent, 
which separates the rivers of the Atlantic from those 
of the Pacific, was about sixteen thousand feet above 
the level of the sea. The peaks of the Cordillera 



368 ELDORADO. 

presented the appearance of a hilly country at home 
on a winter's day ; while the lower ranges were 
dressed in bright green, with placid little lakes inter- 
spersed, giving an air of quiet beauty to the scene. 

The travellers next arrived at Morococha, where 
they found copper-mining to be the prevailing occu- 
pation. The copper ore is calcined in the open air, 
in piles consisting of ore and coal, which burn for a 
month. The ore thus calcined is taken to the ovens ; 
and sufficient heat is employed to melt the copper, 
which runs off into moulds below. The copper, in 
this state, is impure, containing fifty per cent of for- 
eign matter ; and is worth fifteen cents the pound in 
England, where it is refined. There is a mine of fine 
coal near the hacienda, which yields an abundant 
supply. 

The travellers passed other mining districts, rich 
in silver and copper. A large portion of the silver 
which forms the circulation of the world is dug from 
the range of mountains which they were now cross- 
ing, and chiefly from that slope of them which is 
drained off into the Amazon. 

Their descent, after leaving the mining country, 
was rapid. On June 6, we find them at the head of a 
ravine leading down to the Valley of Tarma. The 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON. 369 

height of this spot above the level of the sea was 
11,270 feet. As they rode clown the steep descent, 
the plants and flowers that they had left on the other 
side began to re-appear. First the short grass and 
small clover, then barley, lucern, Indian corn, beans, 
turnips, shrubs, bushes, trees, flowers, growing larger 
and gayer in their colors, till the pretty little city of 
Tarma, imbosomed among the hills, and enveloped in 
its covering of willows and fruit-trees, with its long 
lawns of alfalfa (the greenest of grasses) stretching 
out in front, broke upon their view. It is a place of 
seven thousand inhabitants, beautifully situated in an 
amphitheatre of mountains, which are clothed nearly 
to^the top Avith waving fields of barley. The lieuten- 
ant gives an attractive description of this mountain 
city, whose natural productions extend from the ap- 
ples and peaches of the temperate zone to the oranges 
and pine-apples of the tropics ; and whose air is so 
temperate and pure, that there was but one physician 
to a district of twenty thousand people, and he was 
obliged to depend upon government for a part of his 
support. 

The party left Tarma on the 16th of June, and re- 
sumed their descent of the mountains. The ride was 
the wildest they had yet had. The ascents and de- 

24 



370 ELDORADO. 

scents were nearly precipitous ; and the scene was 
rugged, wild, and grand beyond description. At cer- 
tain parts of the road, it is utterly impossible for two 
beasts to pass abreast, or for one to turn and retreat ; 
and the only remedy, when they meet, is to tumble 
one off the precipice, or to drag him back by the tail 
until he reaches a place where the other can pass. 
They met with a considerable fright in this way one 
day. They were riding in single file along one of 
those narrow ascents where the road is cut out of 
the mountain-side, and the traveller has a perpendicu- 
lar wall on one hand, and a sheer precipice of many 
hundreds of fcot upon the other. Mr. Gibbon was 
riding ahead. Just as he was about to turn a sharp 
bend of the road, the head of a bull peered round it, 
on the descent. When the bull came in full view, he 
stopped; and t!ie travellers could see the heads of 
other cattle clustering over his quarters, and hear 
the shouts of the cattle-drivers far behind, urging on 
their herd. The bull, with lowered crest, and savage, 
sullen look, came slowly on, and actually got his head 
between the perpendicular rock and the neck of Gib- 
bon's mule. But the sagacious beast on which he 
was mounted, pressing her haunches hard against the 
wall, gathered her feet close under her, and turned as 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON. 371 

upon a pivot. This placed the bull on the outside 
(there was room to pass, though no one would have 
thought it) ; and he rushed by at the gallop, followed 
in single jBle by the rest of the herd. The lieutenant 
owns that he and his friend " felt frightened." 

On the 18th of June, they arrived at the first haci- 
enda, where they saw sugar-cane, yucca, pine-apples, 
and plantains. Besides these, cotton and coffee were 
soon after found in cultivation. The laborers are na- 
tive Indians, nominally free, but, hy the customs of 
the country, pretty closely held in subjection to their 
employers. Their nominal wages are half a dollar a 
day ; but this is paid in articles necessary for their 
support, which are charged to them at such prices as 
to keep them always in debt. As debtors, the law 
will enforce the master's claim on them ; and it is 
almost hopeless for them to desert ; for, unless they 
get some distance off before they are recognized, 
they will be returned as debtors to their employers. 
Freedom, under such circumstances, is little better 
than slavery; but it is better, for this reason, — that 
it only requires some improvement in the intelligence 
and habits of the laborers to convert it into a system 
of free labor worthy of the name. 

The yucca (cassava-root) is a plant of fifteen or 



372 ELDORADO. 

twenty feet in height. It is diflScult to distinguish 
this plant from the mandioc, which is called " wild 
yucca ; " and this, " sweet yucca." This may be eaten 
raw; but the other is poisonous until subjected to 
heat in cooking, and then is perfectly wholesome. 
The yucca answers the same purpose in Peru that 
the mandioc does in Brazil. It is the general substi- 
tute for bread, and, roasted or boiled, is very pleasant 
to the taste. The Indians also make from it an intoxi- 
cating drink. Each plant will give from twenty to 
twenty-five pounds of the eatable root, which grows 
in clusters like the potato, and some tubers of which 
are as long and thick as a man's arm. 



CHAPTER XII. 

herndon's expedition continued. 

/^N the 4tli of July, the travellers arrived at the 
^■^^ great mining station of Cerro Pasco. The 
weather was so cold, that the lieutenant, not being 
quite well, sat by the fire all day, trying to keep him- 
self warm. The town is a most curious-looking place, 
entirely honey-combed, and having the mouths of 
mines, some of them two or three yards in diameter, 
gaping everywhere. From the top of a hill, the 
best view is obtained of the whole. Vast pits, called 
Tajos, surround this hill, from which many millions of 
silver have been taken ; and the miners are still bur- 
rowing, like so many rabbits, in their bottoms and 
sides. The hill is penetrated in every direction ; and 
it would not be surprising if it should cave io, any 
day, and bury many in its ruins. The falling-in of 
mines is of frequent occurrence : one caved in, some 
years ago, and buried three hundred persons. An 

373 



o . 4 ELDORADO. 

English companv undertook mining here in 1825, and 
failed. Vast sums have been spent in constructing 
tunnels, and employing steam machineiy to drain the 
mines ; and the parties still persevere, encouraged by 
discovering, that, the lower they penetrate, the richer 
are the ores. The yield of these mines is about two 
million dollars' worth a year, which is equal to the 
yield of all the other mines of Peru together. 

The lieutenant found the leading people here, as 
well as at Tarma, enthusiastic on the subject of open- 
ing the Amazon to foreign commerce. It will be a 
great day for them, they say, when the Americans 
get near them with a steamer. 

On the 14th of July, they arrived at a spot of marshy 
ground, from which trickled in tiny streams the wa- 
ters, which, uniting with others, swell till they fonn 
the broad Eiver Huallaga, one of the head tributaries 
of the Amazon. Their descent was now rapid : and 
the next day they found themselves on a sudden 
among fruit-trees, with a patch of sugar-cane, on the 
banks of the stream. The sudden transition from 
rugged mountain-peaks, where there was no cultiva- 
tion, to a tropical vegetation, was marvellous. Two 
miles farther on, they came in sight of a pretty vil- 
lage, almost hidden in the luxuriant vegetation. The 



VALLET OF THE AilAZOX COXTIXUED. Bib 

whole valley here becomes very beautiful. The land, 
which is a rich river-bottom, is laid off into alternate 
fields of sugar-cane and alfalfa. The blended green 
and yellow of this growth, divided by willows, inter- 
spersed with fruit-trees, and broken into wavy lines 
by the serpentine course of the river, presented a 
scene which filled them with pleasurable emotions, 
and indicated that they had exchanged a semi-barba- 
rous for a civilized society. 

The party had had no occasion to complain of want 
of hospitality in any part of their route : but here they 
seemed to have entered upon a country where that 
virtue flourished most vigorously, having at its com- 
mand the means of gratifying it. The owner of the 
hacienda of Quicacan, an English gentleman named 
Dyer, received the lieutenant and his large party ex- 
actly as if it were a matter of course, and as if they 
had quite as much right to. occupy his house as they 
had to enter an inn. The next day they had an 
opportunity to compare with the Englishman a fine 
specimen of the Peruvian country gentleman. Col. 
Lucar is thus described : " He is probably the richest 
and most influential man in the province. He seems 
to have been the father of husbandry in these parts, 
and is the very type of the old landed proprietor of 



376 ELDORADO. 

Virginia, who has always lived upon his estates, and 
attended personally to their cultivation. Seated at 
the head of his table, with his hat on to keep the 
draught from his head, and which he would insist upon 
removing unless I would wear mine ; his chair sur- 
rounded by two or three little negro children, whom 
he fed with bits from his plate ; and attending with 
patience and kindness to the clamorous wants of a 
pair of splendid peacocks, a couple of small parrots of 
brilliant and variegated plumage, and a beautiful and 
delicate monkey, — I thought I had never seen a more 
perfect pattern of the patriarch. His kindly and 
affectionate manner to his domestics, and to his little 
grand-children, a pair of sprightly boys, who came in 
the evening from the college, was also very pleasing," 
The mention of a college in a region in some respects 
so barbarous may surprise our readers ; but such 
there is. It has a hundred pupils, an income of sev- 
enty-five thousand dollars yearly, chemical and phi- 
losophical apparatus, and one thousand specimens of 
European minerals. 

Ijurra, our lieutenant's Peruvian companion, had 
written to the governor of the village of Tingo Maria, 
the head of canoe navigation on the Huallaga, to send 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 377 

Indians to meet the travellers here, and take their 
luggage on to the place of embarkation. 

July 30. — The Indians came shouting into the 
farm-yard, thirteen in number. They were young, 
slight, but muscular-looking fellows, and wanted to 
shoulder the trunks, and be off at once. The lieuten- 
ant, however, gave them some breakfast ; and then 
the party set forward, and, after a walk of six miles, 
reached the river, and embarked in the canoe. Two 
Indian laborers, called peons, paddled the canoe, and 
managed it very well. The peons cooked their din- 
ner of cheese and rice, and made them a good cup 
of coffee. They are lively, good-tempered fellows, 
and, properly treated, make good and serviceable 
travelling companions. The canoe was available 
only in parts of the river where the stream was free 
from rapids. Where these occur, the cargo must be 
landed, and carried round. Lieut. Herndon and his 
party were compelled to walk a good part of the 
distance to Tingo Maria, which was thirty-six miles 
from where they first took the canoe. 

" I saw here," says our traveller, " the lucernago, 
or fire-fly of this country. It is a species of beetle, 
carrying two white lights in its eyes, or rather in the 
places where the eyes of insects generally are, and a 



378 ELDORADO. 

red light between the scales of the belly ; so that it 
reminded me somewhat of the ocean steamers. They 
are sometimes carried to Lima (enclosed in an apart- 
ment cut into a sugar-cane), where the ladies at balls 
or theatres put them in their hair for ornament.'' 

At Tingo Maria, their arrival was celebrated with 
much festivity. The governor got up a ball for them, 
where there was more hilarity than ceremony. The 
next morning, the governor and his wife accompanied 
our friends to the port. The governor made a short 
address to the canoe-men, telling them that their pas- 
sengers were " no common persons ; that they were 
to have a special care of them ; to be very obedient," 
&c. Thoy then embarked, and stood off; the boat- 
men blowing their horns, and the party on shore wav- 
ing their hats, and shouting their adieus. 

The party had two canoes, about forty feet long by 
two and a half broad, each hollowed out of a single 
log. The rowers stand up to paddle, having one foot 
in the bottom of the boat, and the other on the gun- 
wale. There is a man at the bow of the boat to look 
out for rocks or sunken trees ahead ; and a steersman, 
who stands on a little platform at the stern of the 
boat, and guides her motions. When the river was 
smooth, and free from obstruction, they drifted with 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 379 

the current, the men sitting on the trunks and boxes, 
chatting and laughing with each other; but, when 
they approached a "bad place," their serious looks, 
and the firm position in which each one planted him- 
self at his post, showed that work was to be done. 
When the bark had fairly entered the pass, the rapid 
gestures of the bow-man, indicating the channel; the 
graceful position of the steersman, holding his long 
paddle ; and the desperate exertions of the rowers, the 
railroad rush of the canoes, and the wild screaming 
laugh of the Indians as the boat shot past the dan- 
ger, — made a scene so exciting as to banish the 
sense of danger. 

After this specimen of their travel, let us take a 
glimpse of their lodging. " At half-past five, we 
camped on the beach. The first business of the boat- 
men, when the canoe is secured, is to go off to the 
woods, and cut stakes and palm-branches to make a 
house for the ' commander.' By sticking long poles 
in the sand, chopping them half-way in two about 
five feet above the ground, and bending the upper 
parts together, they make in a few minutes the frame 
of a little shanty, which, thickly thatched with palm- 
leaves, will keep off the dew or an ordinary rain. 
Some bring the drift-wood that is lying about the 



380 ELDORADO. 

beach, and make a fire. The provisions are cooked 
and eaten, the bedding laid down upon the leaves 
that cover the floor of the shanty, the mosquito net- 
tings spread ; and after a cup of coffee, a glass of grog, 
and a cigar (if they are to be had), everybody retires 
for the night by eight o'clock. The Indians sleep 
round the hut, each under his narrow mosquito cur- 
tain, which glisten in the moonlight like so many 
tombstones." 

The Indians have very keen senses, and see and 
hear things that would escape more civilized travel- 
lers. One morning, they commenced paddling with 
great vigor ; for they said they heard monkeys ahead. 
It was not till after paddling a mile that they reached 
the place. " When we came up to them," says the 
lieutenant, " we found a gang of large red monkeys 
in some tall trees by the river-side, making a noise 
like the grunting of a herd of hogs. We landed; and, 
in a few moments, I found myself beating my way 
through the thick undergrowth, and hunting monkeys 
with as much excitement as I had ever felt in hunt- 
ing squirrels when a boy." They found the game 
hard to kill, and only got three, — the lieutenant, with 
his rifle, one ; and the Indians, with their blow-guns, 
two. The Indians roasted and ate theirs, and Lieut. 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 381 

Herndon tried to eat a piece ; but it was so tough, 
that his teeth would make no impression upon it. 

Aug. 19. — The party arrived at Tarapoto. It 
is a town of three thousand five hundred inhabitants, 
and the district of which it is the capital numbers six 
thousand. The principal productions are rice, cot- 
ton, and tobacco ; and cotton-cloth, spun and woven by 
the women, with about as httle aid from machinery 
as the women in Solomon's time, of whom we are 
told, " She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her 
hands hold the distaff." The little balls of cotton 
thread which the women spin in this way are used 
as currency (and this in a land of silver-mines), and 
pass for twenty-five cents apiece in exchange for 
other goods, or twelve and a half cents in money. 
Most of the trade is done by barter. A cow is sold 
for one hundred yards of cotton cloth ; a fat hog, for 
sixty ; a large sheep, twelve ; twenty-five pounds of 
salt fish, for twelve ; twenty-five pounds of coffee, six ; 
a head of plantains, which will weigh from forty to 
fifty pounds, for three needles; and so forth. All 
transportation of merchandise by land is made upon 
the backs of Indians, for want of roads suitable for 
beasts of burden. The customary weight of a load 
is seventy-five pounds : the cost of transportation to 



382 ELDORADO. 

Moyobamba, seventy miles, is six yards of cloth. It 
is easy to obtain, in the term of six or eight days, 
fifty or sixty peons, or Indian laborers, for the trans- 
portation of cargoes, getting the order of the gover- 
nor, and paying the above price, and supporting the 
peons on the way. The town is the most important 
in the province of Mainas. The inhabitants are called 
civihzed, but have no idea of what we call comfort in 
their domestic arrangements. The houses are of 
mud, thatched with palm, and have uneven earth 
floors. The furniture consists of a grass hammock, a 
standing bed-place, a coarse table, and a stool or two. 
The governor of this populous district wore no shoes, 
and appeared to live pretty much like the rest of 
them. 

Vessels of five feet draught of water may ascend the 
river, at the lowest stage of the water, to within eigh- 
teen miles of Tarapoto. 

Our travellers accompanied a large fishing-party. 
They had four or five canoes, and a large quantity of 
barbasco ; a root which has the propert}' of stupefy- 
ing, or intoxicating, the fish. The manner of fishing 
is to close up the mouth of an inlet of the river with 
a net-work made of reeds ; and then, mashing the bar- 
basco-root to a pulp, throw it into the water. This 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 383 

turns the water white, and poisons it ; so that the fish 
soon begin rising to the surface, dead, and are taken 
into the canoes with small tridents, or pronged sticks. 
Almost at the moment of throwing the barbasco into 
the water, the smaller fish rise to the surface, and die 
in one or two minutes ; the larger fish survive longer. 

The salt fish, which constitutes an important arti- 
cle of food and also of barter trade, is brought from 
down the river in large pieces of about eight pounds 
each, cut from the vaca marina, or sea-cow, also 
found in our Florida streams, and there called mana- 
tee. It is found in great numbers in the Amazon 
and its principal tributaries. It is not, strictly speak- 
ing, a fish, but an animal of the whale kind, which 
nourishes its young at the breast. It is not able to 
leave the water ; but, in feeding,' it gets near the 
shore, and raises its head out. It is most often taken 
when feeding. 

Our travellers met a canoe of Indians, one man and 
two women, going up the river for salt. They 
bought, with beads, some turtle-eggs, and proposed 
to buy a monkey they had ; but one of the women 
clasped the little beast in her arms, and *set up a 
great outcry, lest the man should sell it. The man 
wore a long cotton gown, with a hole in the neck for 



384 ELDORADO. 

the head to come through, and short, wide sleeves. 
He had on his arm a bracelet of monkeys' teeth, and 
the women had nose-rings of white beads. Their 
dress was a cotton petticoat, tied round the waist ; 
and all were filthy. 

Sept. 1. — They arrived at Laguna. Here they 
found two travelling merchants, a Portuguese and a 
Brazilian. They had four large boats, of about eight 
tons each, and two or three canoes. Their cargo con- 
sisted of iron and iron implements, crockery-ware, 
wine, brandy, copper kettles, coarse short swords (a 
very common implement of the Indians), guns, ammu- 
nition, salt, fish, &c., which they expected to exchange 
for straw hats, cotton cloth, sugar, coffee, and money. 
They were also buying up all the sarsaparilla they 
could find, and despatching it back in canoes. They 
invited our travellers to breakfast ; and the lieutenant 
says, " I thought that I never tasted any thing better 
than the farinha, which I saw now for the first 
time." 

Farinha is a general substitute for bread in all the 
course of the Amazon below the Brazilian frontier. 
It is used by all classes ; and the boatmen seemed 
always contented with plenty of salt fish and farinha. 
The women make it in this way : They soak the root 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 385 

of the mandioc iu water till it is softened a little, 
when they scrape off the skin, and grate the root 
upon a board, which is made into a rude grater by 
being smeared with some of the adhesive gums of the 
forest, and then sprinkled with pebbles. The white 
grated pulp is put into a conical-shaped bag made of 
the coarse fibres of the palm. The bag is hung up to 
a peg driven into a post of the hut ; a lever is put 
through a loop at the bottom of the bag ; the short end 
of the lever is placed under a chock nailed to the 
post below ; and tlie woman hangs her weight on the 
long end. This elongates the bug, and brings a heavy 
pressure upon the mass within, causing the juice to 
ooze out through the wicker-work of the bag. When 
sufficiently pressed, the mass is put on the floor of a 
mud oven ; heat is applied, and it is stirred with a 
stick till it granulates into very irregular grains, and 
is sufficiently toasted to drive off all the poisonous 
qualities which it has in a crude state. It is then 
packed in baskets (lined and covered with palm- 
leaves) of about sixty-four pounds' weight, which are 
generally sold all along the river at from seventy- 
five cents to one dollar. The sediment of the juice 
is tapioca, and is used to make custards, puddings, 
starch, <fec. It will surprise some of our readers to 



386 ELDORADO. 

be told tliat the juice extracted in tbe preparation of 
these wholesome and nutritive substances is a pow- 
erful poison, and used by the Indians for poisoning 
the points of their arrows. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

herndon's expedition continued. 

rilHE Huallaga is navigable, for vessels drawing 
five feet depth of water, 285 miles ; and forty 
miles farther for canoes. Our travellers had now ar- 
rived at its junction with the Amazon ; and their first 
sight of its waters is thus described : " The march 
of the great river in its silent grandeur was sublime ; 
but in the untamed might of its turbid waters, as 
they cut away its banks, tore doAvn the gigantic deni- 
zens of the forest, and built up islands, it was awful. 
I was reminded of our Mississippi at its topmost flood; 
but this stream lacked the charm which the plantation 
upon the bank, the city upon the bluff, and the steam- 
boat upon the waters, lend to its fellow of the North. 
But its capacities for trade and commerce are incon- 
ceivably great ; and to the touch of steam, settlement, 
and cultivation, this majestic stream and its mag- 
nificent water-shed would start up in a display of 

387 



388 ELDORADO. 

industrial results that would make the Valley of the 
Amazon one of the most enchanting regions on the 
face of the earth." 

Lieut. Herndon speaks of the Valley of the Ama- 
zon in language almost as enthusiastic as that of Sir 
Walter Raleigh : " From its mountains you may dig 
silver, iron, coal, copper, zinc, quicksilver, and tin ; 
from the sands of its tributaries you may wash gold, 
diamonds, and precious stones ; from its forests you 
may gather drugs of virtues the most rare, spices of 
aroma the most exquisite, gums and resins of the most 
varied and useful properties, dyes of hue the most 
brilliant, with cabinet and building woods of the finest 
polish and the most enduring texture. Its climate is 
an everlasting summer, and its harvest perennial." 

Sept. 8. — The party encamped at night on an 
island near the middle of the river. " The Indians, 
cooking their big monkeys over a large fire on the 
beach, presented a savage and most picturesque 
scene. They looked more like devils roasting human 
beings, than any thing mortal." We ask ourselves, 
on reading this, whether some such scene may not 
have given rise to the stories of cannibalism which 
Raleigh and others record. 

They arrived at Nauta, a village of a thousand in- 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 389 

habitants, mostly Indians. The governor of the district 
received them hospitably. Each district has its gov- 
ernor, and each town its lieutenant-governor. These 
are of European descent. The other authorities of a 
town are curacas, captains, alcades, and constables. 
All these are Indians. The office of curaca is heredi- 
tary, and is not generally interfered with by the white 
governor. The Indians treat their curaca with great 
respect, and submit to corporal punishment at his 
mandate. 

Sarsaparilla is one of the chief articles of produce 
collected here. It is a vine of sufficient size to shoot 
up fifteen or twenty feet from the root without sup- 
port. It thus embraces the surrounding trees, and 
spreads to a great distance. The main root sends out 
many tendrils, generally about the thickness of a 
straw, and five feet long. These are gathered, and 
tied up in bundles of about an arroba, or thirty-two 
pounds' weight. It is found on the banks of almost 
every river of the region ; but many of these are not 
worked, on account of the savages living on them, 
who attack the parties that come to gather it. The 
price in Nauta is two dollars the arroba, and in Eu- 
rope from forty to sixty dollars. 

From Nauta, Lieut. Herndon ascended the Uca- 



390 ELDORADO. 

yali, a branch of the Amazon, stretching to the 
north-west in a direction somewhat parallel to the 
Huallaga. There is the essential difference between 
the two rivers, as avenues for commerce, that the 
Ucayali is still in the occupation of savage tribes, iin- 
christianized except where under the immediate influ- 
ence of the mission stations planted among them ; 
while the population of the Huallaga is tolerably ad- 
vanced in civilization. The following sentences will 
give a picture of the Indians of the Ucayali : ^' These 
people cannot count, and I can never get from them 
any accurate idea of numbers. They are very little 
removed above ' the beasts that perish.' They are 
filthy, and covered with sores. The houses are very 
large, between thirty and forty feet in length, and ten 
or fifteen in breadth. They consist of immense roofs 
of small poles and canes, thatched with palm, and sup- 
ported by short stakes, four feet high, planted in the 
ground three or four feet apart, and having the spaces, 
except between two in front, filled in with cane. They 
have no idea of a future state, and worship nothing. 
But they can make bows and canoes ; and their women 
weave a coarse cloth from cotton, and dye it. Their 
dress is a long cotton gown. They paint the face, and 
Avear ornaments suspended from the nose and lower 
lip." 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 391 

Next let ns take a view of the meana in operation 
to elevate these people to civilization and Christianity. 
Sarajacu is a missionary station, governed by four 
Franciscan friars, who are thus described : " Father 
Calvo, meek and humble in personal concerns, yet full 
of zeal and spirit for his office, clad in his long serge 
gown, belted with a cord, with bare feet and accurate 
tonsure, habitual stoop, and generally bearing upon 
his shoulder a beautiful and saucy bird of the parrot 
kind, was my beau-ideal of a missionary monk. Bre- 
gati is a young and handsome Italian, whom Father 
Calvo sometimes calls St. John. Lorente is a tall, 
grave, and cold-looking Catalan. A lay-brother named 
Maguin, who did the cooking, and who was unwearied 
in his attentions to us, made up the establishment. I 
was sick here, and think that I shall ever remember 
with gratitude the affectionate kindness of these pious 
and devoted friars of St. Francis." 

The government is paternal. The Indians recog- 
nize in the " padre " the power to appoint and remove 
curacas, captains, and other officers ; to inflict stripes, 
and to confine in the stocks. They obey the priests' 
orders readily, and seem tractable and docile. The 
Indian men are drunken and lazy : the women do most 
of the work ; and their reward is to be mal-treated 



392 ELDORADO. 

by their husbands, and, in their drunken frolics, to be 
cruelly beaten, and sometimes badly wounded. 

Our party returned to the Amazon ; and we find 
occurring in their narrative names which are familiar 
to us in the history of our previous adventurers. They 
touched at Omaguas, the port where Madame Godin 
found kind friends in the good missionary and the 
governor, and where she embarked on her way to 
the galiot at Loreto ; and they passed the mouth of the 
Napo, which enters the Amazon from the north, — the 
river down which Orellana passed in the first adven- 
ture. The lieutenant says, " We spoke two canoes 
that had come from near Quito by the Napo. There 
are few Christianized towns on the Napo ; and the 
rewers of the boats were a more savage-looking set 
than I had seen," — so slow has been the progress of 
civilization in three hundred years. 

The Amazon seems to be the land of monkeys. Our 
traveller says, '' I bought a young monkey of an Indian 
woman to-day. It had coarse gray and white hair ; 
and that on the top of its head was stiff, like the quills 
of the porcupine, and smoothed down in front as if it 
had been combed. I offered the little fellow some 
plantain ; but, finding he would not eat, the woman 
took him, and put him to her breast, when he sucked 



VALLEY OF TUE AMAZON CONTINUED. 393 

away maniully and with great gusto. She weaned 
him in a week, so that he would eat plantain mashed 
up, and put into his mouth in small bits; but the little 
beast died of mortification because I would not .let 
him sleep with his arms around my neck." 

They got from the Indians some of the milk from 
the cow-tree. This the Indians drink, when fresh; 
and, brought in a calabash, it had a foamy appear- 
ance, as if just drawn from the cow. It, however, co- 
agulates very soon, and becomes as hard and tenacious 
as glue. It does not appear to be as important an 
article of subsistence as one would expect from the 
name. 

Dec. 2. — They arrived at Loreto, the frontier 
town of the Peruvian territory, and which reminds 
us again of Madame Godin, who there joined the Por- 
tuguese galiot. Loreto is situated on an eminence on 
the left bank of the river, Avhich is here three-fourths 
of a mile wide, and one hundred feet deep. There 
are three mercantile houses in Loreto, Avhich do a 
business of about ten thousand dollars a year. The 
houses at Loreto are better built and better furnished 
than those of the towns on the river above. The popu- 
lation of the place is two hundred and fift3', made up 
of Brazilians, mulattoes, negroes, and a few Indians. 



S94 ELDORADO. 

At the next town, Tabatinga, the lieutenant entered 
the territory of Brazil. When his boat, bearing the 
American flag, was descried at that place, the Brazi- 
lian flag was hoisted; and when the lieutenant landed, 
dressed in uniform, he was received by the command- 
ant, also in uniform, to whom he presented his pass- 
port from the Brazilian minister at Washington. As 
soon as this document was perused, and the lieuten- 
ant's rank ascertained, a salute of seven guns was 
fired from the fort ; and the commandant treated him 
with great civility, and entertained him at his table, 
giving him roast beef, which was a great treat. 

It was quite pleasant, after coming from the Peru- 
vian villages, which are all nearly hidden in the 
woods, to see that Tabatinga had the forest cleared 
away from about it; so that a space of forty or fifty 
acres was covered with green grass, and had a grove 
of orange-trees in its midst. The commandant told 
him that the trade of the river was increasing very 
fast ; that, in 1849, scarce one thousand dollars' worth 
of goods passed up; in 1850, two thousand five hun- 
dred dollars ; and this year, six thousand dollars. 

The sarsaparilla seems thus far to have been the 
principal article of commerce ; but here they find 
another becoming of importance, — manteca, or oil 



VALLEY OF THE AMAZON CONTINUED. 395 

made of turtle-eggs. The season for making man- 
teca generally ends by the 1st of November. A com- 
mandant is appointed every year to take care of the 
beaches, prevent disorder, and administer justice. 
Sentinels arc placed at the beginning of August, when 
the turtles commence depositing their eggs. They 
see that no one wantonly interferes with the turtles, 
or destroys the eggs. The process of making the oil 
is very disgusting. The eggs are collected, thrown 
into a canoe, and trodden into a mass with the feet. 
Water is poured on, and the mass is left to stand in 
the sun for several daj's. The oil rises to the top, is 
skimmed off, and boiled in large copper boilers. It is 
then put in earthen pots of about forty-five pounds' 
Aveight. Each pot is worth, on the beach, one dollar 
and thirty cents ; and at Para, from two and a half to 
three dollars. The beaches of the Amazon and its 
tributaries yield from five to six ' thousand pots 
annually. It is used for the same purposes as lard 
with us. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

herndon's expedition concluded. 

/^^N Jan. 4, at about the point of the junction 
of the Purus River with the Amazon, Lieut. 
Herndon remarks, " The banks of the river are 
now losing the character of savage and desolate 
solitude that characterizes them above, and begin to 
show signs of habitation and cultivation. We passed 
to-day several farms, with neatly framed and plastered 
houses, and a schooner-rigged vessel l^'ing off several 
of them." 

They arrived at the junction of the River Negro. 
This is one of the largest of the tributaries of the 
Amazon, and derives its name from the blackness of 
its waters. When taken up in a tumbler, the water 
is a light-red color, like a pale juniper-water, and is 
probably colored by some such berry. This river, 
opposite the town of Barra, is about a mile and a half 
wide, and very beautiful. It is navigable for almost 

396 



HEBNDON'S EXPEDITION CONCLUDED. 397 

any draughts to the Masaya, a distance of about four 
hundred miles : there the rapids commence, and the 
farther ascent must be made in boats. By this river, 
a communication exists with the Orinoco, by means 
of a remarkable stream, the Cassaquiare, which seems 
to have been formed for the sole purpose of connect- 
ing these two majestic rivers, and the future dwellers 
upon them, in the bonds of perpetual union, Hum- 
boldt, the great traveller and philosopher, thus speaks 
of it, '' The Cassaquiare, as broad as the Rhine, and 
whose course is one hundred and eighty miles in 
length, will not much longer form in vain a naviga- 
ble canal between two basins of rivers which have a 
surface of one hundred and ninety thousand square 
leagues. The grain of New Grenada will be carried 
to the banks of the Rio Negro ; boats will descend 
from the sour(?es of the Napo and the Ucayali, from 
the Andes of Quito and Upper Peru, to the mouths of 
the Orinoco. A country nine or ten times larger 
than Spain, and enriched with the most varied pro- 
ductions, is accessible in every direction by the 
medium of the natural canal of the Cassaquiare and 
the bifurcation of the rivers." 

The greatest of all the tributaries of the Amazon 
is the Madeira, whose junction our travellers next 



398 ELDORADO. 

reached. For four hundred and fifty miles from its 
mouth, there is good navigation : then occur cascades, 
which are navigable only for boats, and occupy three 
hundred and fifty miles, above which the river is 
navigable for large vessels, by its great tributaries, 
into Bolivia and Brazil. 

They next entered the country where the cocoa is 
regularly cultivated ; and the banks of the river pre- 
sent a much less desolate and savage appearance than 
they do above. The cocoa-trees have a yellow-colored 
leaf; and this, together with their regularity of size, 
distinguishes them from the surrounding forest. 
Lieut. Herndon says, '' I do not know a prettier place 
than one of these plantations. The trees interlock 
their branches, and, with their large leaves, make a 
shade impenetrable to any ray of the sun ; and the 
large, golden-colored fruits, hanging from branch and 
trunk, shine through the green with a most beautiful 
effect. This is the time of the harvest ; and we found 
the people of every plantation engaged in the open 
space before the house in breaking open the shells of 
the fruit, and spreading the seed to dry in the sun. 
They make a pleasant drink for a hot day by pressing 
out the juice of the gelatinous pulp that envelops the 
seeds. It is called cocoa-wine : it is a white, viscid 



HERNDO]\''S EXPEDITION CONCLUDED. 399 

liquor, has an agreeable, acid taste, and is very re- 
freshing," 

We must hasten on, and pass without notice many 
spots of interest on the river ; but, as we have now 
reached a comparatively civilized and known region, 
it is less necessary to be particular. The Tapajos 
River stretches its branches to the town of Diaman- 
tino, situated at the foot of the mountains, where 
diamonds are found. Lieut. Herndon saw some of 
the diamonds and gold-sand in the possession of a resi- 
dent of Santarem, who had traded much on the river. 
The gold-dust appeared to him equal in quality to that 
he had seen from California. Gold and diamonds, 
which are always united in this region as in many 
others, are found especially in the numerous water- 
courses, and also throughout the whole country. 
After the rains, the children of Diamantino hunt for 
the gold contained in the earth even of the streets, 
and in the bed of the River Ouro, which passes through 
the city ; and they often collect considerable quanti- 
ties. It is stated that diamonds are sometimes found 
in the stomachs of the fowls. The quantity of dia- 
monds found in a year varies from two hundred and 
fifty to five hundred oitavas ; the oitava being about 
seventeen carats. The value depends upon the qual- 



400 ELD OU ADO. 

ity and size of the specimen, and can hardly be re- 
duced to an estimate. It is seldom that a stone of 
over half an oitava is found; and such a one is worth 
from two to three hundred dollars. 

As an offset to the gold and diamonds, we have this 
picture of the climate : " From the rising to the set- 
ting of the sun, clouds of stinging insects blind the 
traveller, and render him frantic by the torments 
they cause. Take a handful of the finest sand, and 
throw it above your head, and you would then have 
but a faint idea of the number of these demons who 
tear the skin to pieces. It is true, these insects dis- 
appear at night, but onl}^ to give place to others yet 
more formidable. Large bats (true, thirsty vampires) 
literally throng the forests, cling to the hammocks, 
and, finding a part of the body exposed, rest lightly 
there, and drain it of blood. The alligators are so 
numerous, and the noise they make so frightful, that 
it is impossible to sleep." 

At Santarem they were told the tide was percepti- 
ble, but did not perceive it. At Gurupa it was very 
apparent. This point is about five hundred miles 
from the sea. About thirty-five miles below Gurupa 
commences the great estuary of the Amazon. The 
river suddenly flows out into an immense bay, which 



HERNjbON'S EXPEDITION CONCLUDED. 401 

might appropriately be called the " bay of a thousand 
islands ; " for it is cut up into innumerable channels. 
The travellers ran for days through channels varying 
from fifty to five hundred yards in width, between 
numberless islands. This is the India-rubber country. 
The shores are low : indeed, one seldom sees the land 
at all ; the trees on the banks generally standing in 
the water. The party stopped at one of the establish- 
ments for making India-rubber. The house was built 
of light poles, and on piles, to keep it out of the 
water, which flowed under and around ^t. This was 
the store, and, rude as it was, was a palace compared 
to the hut of the laborer who gathers the India-rub- 
ber. The process is as follows : A longitudinal gash 
is made in the bark of the tree with a hatchet. A 
wedge of wood is inserted to keep the gash open ; and 
a small clay cup is stuck to the tree, beneath the gash. 
The cups may be stuck as close together as possible 
around the tree. In four or five hours, the milk has 
ceased to run, and each wound has given from three 
to five table-spoonfuls. The gatherer then collects it 
from the cups, pours it into an earthen vessel, and 
commences the operation of forming it into shapes, 
and smoking it. This must be done at once, as the 
juice soon coagulates. A fire is made on the ground, 

26 



402 ELDORADO. 

and a rude funnel placed over it to collect the smoke. 
The maker of the rubber now takes his last, if he is 
making shoes, or his mould, which is fastened to the 
end of a stick, pours the milk over it with a cup, and 
passes it slowly several times through the smoke 
until it is dry. He then pours on the other coats 
until he has the required thickness, smoking each 
coating till it is dry. From twenty to forty coats 
make a shoe. The soles and heels are, of course, given 
more coats than the body of the shoe. The figures 
on the shoes are made by tracing them on the rubber, 
while soft, with a coarse needle, or bit of wire. This 
is done two days after the coating. In a week, the 
shoes are taken from the last. The coating occupies 
about twenty-five minutes. 

The tree is tall, straight, and has a smooth bark. 
It sometimes reaches a diameter of thirteen inches or 
more. Each incision makes a rough wound on the 
tree, which, although it does not kill it, renders it 
useless, because a smooth place is wanted to which 
to attach the cups. The milk is white and tasteless, 
and may be taken into the stomach with impunity. 

Our travellers arrived at Par4 on the 12th of April, 
1852, and were most hospitably and kindly received 
by Mr. Norris, the American consul. 



WILLIA3I LEWIS IIERNDON. 403 

The journey of our travellers ends here. Lieut. 
Herndon's book is full of instruction, conveyed in a 
pleasant style. He seems to have manifested through- 
out good judgment, good temper, energy, and industry. 
He had no collisions with the authorities or with in- 
dividuals, and, on his part, seems to have met friendly 
feelings and good offices throughout his whole route. 



William Lewis Herndon" was born in Fredericksburg, Va., 
on the 25th of October, 1813. He entered the navy at the age of 
fifteen ; served in the Mexican war ; and was afterwards engaged 
for three years, with his brother-in-law, Lieut. Maury, in the Na- 
tional Observatory at Washington. In 1851-2, he explored the 
Amazon River, under commission of the United-States Govern- 
ment. In 1857, he was commander of the steamer "Central 
America," which left Havana for New York on Sept. 8, having on 
board four hundred and seventy-four passengers and a crew of one 
hundred and five men, and about two million dollars of gold. On 
Sept. 11, during a violent gale from the north-east and a heavy 
sea, she sprung a leak, and sunk, on the evening of Sept. 12, 
near the outer edge of the Gulf Stream, in lat. 31° 44' N. Only 
one hundred and fifty of the persons on board were saved, includ- 
ing the women and children. The gallant commander of the 
steamer was seen standuig upon the wheel-house at the time of 
her sinking. 

In a former chapter, we have told the fate of Sir Humphrey 
Gilbert. How fair a counterpart of that heroic death is this of 
the gallant Herndon ! 



CHAPTER XV. 

LATEST EXPLORATIONS. 

TN the year 1845, an English gentleman, Henry 
Walter Bates, visited the region of the Amazon 
for the purpose of scientific exploration. He went 
prepared to spend years in the country, in order to 
study diligently its natural productions. His stay 
was protracted until 1859, during which time he 
resided successively at Para, Santarem, Ega, Barra, 
and other places; making his abode for months, or 
even years, in each. His account of his observa- 
tions and discoveries was published after his return, 
and affords us the best information we possess re- 
specting the country, its inhabitants, and its produc- 
tions, brought down almost to the present time. Our 
extracts relate to the cities, the river and its shores, 
the inhabitants civilized and savage, the great tribu- 
tary rivers, the vegetation, and the animals of various 
kinds. 

404 



PARA. 405 

Before proceeding with our extracts, we will re- 
mark the various names of the river. 

It is sometimes called, from the name of its discov- 
erer, " Orellana." This name is appropriate and well- 
sounding, but is not in general use. 

The name of " Marafion," pronounced Maranyon, 
is still often used. It is probably derived from the 
natives. 

It is called " The River of the Amazons," from the 
fable of its former inhabitants. 

This name is shortened into " The Amazons," and, 
without the plural sign, '' The Amazon," in common 
use. 

Above the junction of the River Negro, the river 
is designated as "The Upper Amazon," or " Soli- 
moens." 

PARA. 

"On the morning of the 28th of May, 1848, we ar- 
rived at our destination. The appearance of the city 
at sunrise was pleasing in the highest degree. It is 
built on a low tract of land, having only one small 
rocky elevation at its southern extremity : it there- 
fore affords no amphitheatral view from the river; 
but the white buildings roofed with red tiles, the 
numerous towers and cupolas of churches and con- 



406 ELDORADO. 

vents, the crowns of palm-trees reared above the 
buildings, all sharply defined against the clear blue 
sky, give an appearance of lightness and cheerfulness 
which is most exhilarating. The perpetual forest 
hems the city in on all sides landwards ; and, towards 
the suburbs, picturesque country-houses are seen 
scattered about, half buried in luxuriant foliage. 

'' The impressions received during our first walk 
can never wholly fade from my mind. After travers- 
ing the few streets of tall, gloomy, convent-looking 
buildings near the port, inhabited chiefly by mer- 
chants and shopkeepers ; along which idle soldiers, 
dressed in shabby uniforms, carrying their muskets 
carelessly over their arms ; priests ; negresses with 
red water-jars on their heads ; sad-looking Indian 
women, carrying their naked children astride on their 
hips ; and other samples of the motley life of the place, 
— were seen ; we passed down a long, narrow street 
leading to the suburbs. Beyond this, our road lay 
across a grassy common, into a picturesque lane lead- 
ing to the virgin forest. The long street was in- 
habited by the poorer class of the population. The 
houses were mostly in a dilapidated condition ; and 
signs of indolence and neglect were everywhere visi- 
ble. But amidst all, and compensating every defect, 



PARA. 407 

rose the overpoweriDg beauty of the vegetation. 
The massive dark crowns of shady mangoes were 
seen everywhere among the dwellings, amidst fra- 
grant, blossoming orange, lemon, and other tropical 
fruit-trees, — some in flower, others in fruit at va- 
rious stages of ripeness. Here and there, shooting 
above the more dome-like and sombre trees, were 
the smooth columnar stems of palms, bearing aloft 
their magnificent crowns of finely-cut fronds. On 
the boughs of the taller and more ordinary-looking 
trees sat tufts of curiously leaved parasites. Slender 
woody lianas hung in festoons from the branches, or 
were suspended in the form of cords and ribbons; 
while luxuriant creeping plants overran alike tree- 
trunks, roofs, and walls, or toppled over palings in 
copious profusion of foliage. 

"As we continued our walk, the brief twilight com- 
menced; and the sounds of multifarious life came from 
the vegetation around, — the whirring of cicadas ; the 
shrill stridulation of a vast number of crickets and 
grasshoppers, each species sounding its peculiar 
note ; the plaintive hooting of tree-frogs, all blended 
together in one continuous ringing sound, — the audi- 
ble expression of the teeming profusion of Nature. 
This uproar of life, I afterwards found, never wholly 



408 ELDORADO. 

ceased, night or day : in course of time, I became, 
like other residents, accustomed to it. After my re- 
turn to England, the death-like stillness of summer 
days in the country appeared to me as strange as the 
ringing uproar did on my first arrival at Par4." 

CAMETA. 

" I staid at Cametd five weeks, and made a consid- 
erable collection of the natural productions of the 
neighborhood. The town, in 1849, was estimated to 
contain about five thousand inhabitants. The pro- 
ductions of the district are cacao, India-rubber, and 
Brazil nuts. The most remarkable feature in the 
social aspect of the place is the mixed nature of the 
population, — the amalgamation of the white and In- 
dian races being here complete. The aborigines 
were originally very numerous on the western bank 
of the Tocantins ; the principal tribe being the Came- 
tas, from which the city takes its name. They Avere 
a superior nation, settled, and attached to agriculture, 
and received with open arms the white immigrants 
who were attracted to the district by its fertility, 
natural beauty, and the healthfulness of the climate. 
The Portuguese settlers were nearly all males. The 
Indian women were good-looking, and made excellent 



CAMETA. 409 

wives ; so the natural result has beeu, in the course 
of two centuries, a complete blending of the two 
races. 

" The town consists of three long streets running 
parallel to the river, with a few shorter ones crossing 
them at right angles. The houses are very plain ; 
being built, as usual in this country, simply of a 
strong framework, filled up with mud, and coated 
with white plaster. A few of them are of two or 
three stories. There are three churches, and also a 
small theatre, where a company of native actors, at 
the time of my visit, were representing light Portu- 
guese plays with considerable taste and ability. The 
people have a reputation all over the province for 
energy and perseverance ; and it is often said that 
they are as keen in trade as the Portuguese. The 
lower classes are as indolent and sensual here as in 
other parts of the province, — amoral condition not 
to be wondered at, where perpetual summer reigns, 
and where the necessaries of life are so easily ob- 
tained. But they are light-hearted, quick-witted, com- 
municative, and hospitable. I found here a native 
poet, who had written some pretty verses, showing 
an appreciation of the natural beauties of the coun- 
try ; and was told that the Archbishop of Bahia, the 



410 ELDORADO. 

primate of Brazil, was a native of Cametd. It is in- 
teresting to find the mamelucos (halfbreecls) display- 
ing talent and enterprise ; for it shows that degene- 
racy does not necessarily result from the mixture of 
white and Indian blood. 

" The forest behind Camet4 is traversed by several 
broad roads, which lead over undulating ground many 
miles into the interior. They pass generally under 
shade, and part of the way through groves of coffge 
and orange trees, fragrant plantations of cacao, and 
tracts of second-growth woods. The narrow, broad- 
watered valleys, with which the land is intersected, 
alone have remained clothed with primeval forest, at 
least near the town. The houses along these beauti- 
ful roads belong chiefly to mameluco, mulatto, and 
Indian families, each of which has its own small 
plantation. There are only a few planters with large 
establishments ; and these have seldom more than a 
dozen slaved. Besides the main roads, there are end- 
less by-paths, which thread the forest, and communi- 
cate with isolated houses. Along these the traveller 
may wander day after day, without leaving the shade, 
and everywhere meet with cheerful, simple, and hos- 
pitable people." 



RIVERS AND CREEKS. 411 

RIVERS AND CREEKS. 

" We made many excursions down the Irritiri, and 
saw much of these creeks. The Magoary is a magni- 
ficent channel : the different branches form quite a 
labyrinth, and the land is everywhere of little eleva- 
tion. All these smaller rivers throughout the Para 
estuary are of the nature of creeks. The land is so 
level, that the short local rivers have no sources and 
downward currents, like rivers, as we understand 
them. They serve the purpose of draining the land ; 
but, instead of having a constant current one way, 
they have a regular ebb and flow with the tide. The 
natives call them igarapes, or canoe-paths. They are 
characteristic of the country. The land is every- 
where covered with impenetrable forests : the houses 
and villages are all on the water-side, and nearly all 
communication is by water. This semi-aquatic life 
of the people is one of the most interesting features 
of the country. For short excursions, and for fishing 
in still waters, a small boat, called montaria, is uni- 
versally used. It is made of five planks, — a broad 
(me for the bottom, bent into the proper shape by 
the action of heat, two narrow ones for the sides, 
and two triangular pieces for stem and stern. It has 



418 ELDORADO. 

no rudder: the paddle serves for both steering and 
propelhng. The montaria takes here the place of the 
horse, mule, or camel of other regions. Besides one 
or more montarias, almost every family has a larger 
canoe, called igarite. This is fitted with two masts, 
a rudder, and keel, and has an arched awning or 
cabin near the stern, made of a framework of tough 
lianas, thatched with palm-leaves. In the igarite, 
they will cross stormy rivers fifteen or twenty miles 
broad. The natives are all boat-builders. It is often 
remarked by white residents, that the Indian is a car- 
penter and shipwright by intuition. It is astonishing 
to see in what crazy vessels these people will risk 
themselves. I have seen Indians cross rivers in a 
leaky montaria when it required the nicest equili- 
brium to keep the leak just above water: a movement 
of a hair's-breadth would send all to the bottom ; but 
they manage to cross in safety. If a squall overtakes 
them as they are crossing in a heavily-laden canoe, 
they all jump overboard, and swim about until the 
heavy sea subsides, when they re-embark." 

JUNCTION OF THE MADEIRA. 

" Our course lay through narrow channels between 
islands. We passed the last of these, and then be- 



JUNCTION OF THE MADEIRA. 413 

held to the south a sea-h'ke expanse of water, where 
the Madeira, the greatest tributary of the Amazons, 
after two thousand miles of course, blends its waters 
with those of the king of rivers. I was hardly pre- 
pared for a junction of waters on so vast a scale as 
this, now nearly nine hundred miles from the sea. 
While travelling week after week along the some- 
what monotonous stream, often hemmed in between 
islands, and becoming thoroughly familiar with it, my 
sense of the magnitude of this vast water-system had 
become gradually deadened ; but this noble sight re- 
newed the first feelings of wonder. One is inclined, 
in such places as these, to think the Paracuses do 
not exaggerate much when they call the Amazons 
the Mediterranean of South America. Beyond the 
mouth of the Madeira, the Amazons sweeps down in 
a majestic reach, to all appearance not a whit less in 
breadth before than after this enormous addition to 
its waters. The Madeira does not ebb and flow si- 
multaneously with the Amazons ; it rises and sinks 
about two months earlier : so that it was now fuller 
than the main river. Its current, therefore, poured 
forth freely from its mouth, carrying with it a long 
line of floating trees, and patches of grass, which had 
been torn from its crumbly banks in the lower part of 



414 ELDORADO. 

its course. The current, however, did not reach the 
middle of the main stream, but swept along nearer to 
the southern shore. 

" The Madeira is navigable 480 miles from its 
mouth : a series of cataracts and rapids then com- 
mences, which extends, with some intervals of quiet 
water, about IGO miles, beyond which is another long 
stretch of navigable stream." 

JUNCTION OF THE RIO NEGRO. 

"A brisk wind from the east sprung up early in 
the morning of the 22d : we then hoisted all sail, and 
made for the mouth of the E,io Negro. This noble 
stream, at its junction with the Amazons, seems, from 
its position, to be a direct continuation of the main 
river ; while the Solimoens, which joins it at an angle, 
and is somewhat narrower than its tributary, appears 
to be a branch, instead of the main trunk, of the vast 
water-system. 

" The Rio Negro broadens considerably from its 
mouth upward, and presents the appearance of a 
great lake ; its black-dyed waters having no current, 
and seeming to be dammed up by the impetuous flow 
of the yellow, turbid Solimoens, which here belches 
forth a continuous line of uprooted trees, and patches 



JUNCTION OF THE RIO NEORO. 415 

of grass, and forms a striking contrast with its tribu- 
tary. In crossing, we passed the h'ne a Httle more 
than half-way over, whore the waters of the two 
rivers meet, and are sharply demarcated from each 
other. On reaching the opposite shore, we found a 
remarkable change. All our insect posts had disap- 
peared, as if by magic, even from the hold of the 
canoe : the turmoil of an agitated, swiftly-flowing 
river, and its torn, perpendicular, earthy banks, had 
given place to tranquil water, and a coast indented 
with snug little bays, fringed with sloping, sandy 
beaches. The low shore, and vivid, light-green, end- 
lessly varied foliage, which prevailed on the south 
side of the Amazons, were exchanged for a hilly 
country, clothed with a sombre, rounded, and monot- 
onous forest. A light wind carried us gently along 
the coast to the city of Barra, which lies about seven 
or eight miles within the mouth of the river. 

" The town of Barra is built on a tract of elevated 
but very uneven land, on the left bank of the Rio 
Negro, and contained, in 185/), about three thousand 
inhabitants. Ifis now the principal station for the 
lines of steamers which were established in 1853; and 
passengers and goods are trans-shipped here for the 
Solimoens and Peru. A steamer runs once a fort- 



416 ELDORADO. 

night between Fam and Barra ; and another as often 
between this place and Nauta, in the Peruvian ter- 
ritory." 

MAMELUCOS, OR HALF-BREEDS. 

" We landed at one of the cacao-plantations. The 
house was substantially built ; the walls formed of 
strong, upright posts, lathed across, plastered with 
mud, and whitewashed ; and the roof tiled. The flim- 
ily were Mamelucos, or offspring of the European and 
the Indian. They seemed to be an average sample 
of the poorer class of cacao-growers. All were loosely 
dressed, and barefooted. A broad veranda extended 
along one side of the house, the floor of which was 
simply the well-trodden earth; and here hammocks 
were slung between the bare upright supports, a 
large rush-mat being spread on the ground, upon 
which the stout, matron-like mistress, with a tame 
parrot perched upon her shoulder, sat sewing with 
two pretty-looking mulatto-girls. The master, coolly 
clad in shii't and drawew?, the former loose about his 
neck, lay in his hammock, smoking a long gaudily 
painted wooden pipe. The household utensils — earth- 
en-ware jars, water-pots, and sauce-pans — lay at one 
end, near which was a wood-fire, with the ever-ready 



MURA INDIANS. 417 

cofTcc-pot simmering on tlie top of a clay tripod. A 
lara-e shed stood a short di.staiice off, embowered in a 
grove of banana, papaw, and mango trees ; and under 
it were the troughs, ovens, sieves, and other appa- 
ratus, for the preparation of mandioc. The cleared 
space around the house was only a few yards in 
extent: beyond it lay the cacao-plantations, which 
stretched on each side parallel to the banks of the 
river. There was a path through the forest, which 
led to the mandioc-fields, and, several miles beyond, 
to other houses on the banks of an interior channel. 
We were kindly received, as is always the case when 
a stranger visits these out-of the-way habitations ; the 
people being invariably civil and hospitable. AVe had 
a long chat, took coffee ; and, on departing, one of the 
daughters sent a basketful of oranges, for our use, 
down to the canoe." 

x^ MURA INDIANS. 

" On the 9th of January, we arrived at Matari, a 
miserable Httle settlement of Mura Indians. PI ere 
we again anchored, and went ashore. The place con- 
sisted of about twenty slightly built mud-hovels, and 
had a most forlorn appearance, notwithstanding the 
luxuriant forest in its rear. The absence of the usual 

27 



418 ELDOBADO. 

cultivated trees and plants gave the place a naked 
and poverty-stricken aspect. I entered one of the 
hovels, where several women were employed cooking 
a meal. Portions of a large fish were roasting over a 
fire made in the middle of the low chamber; and the 
entrails were scattered about Hie floor, on which the 
women, with their children, were squatted. These 
had a timid, distrustful expression of countenance ; 
and their bodies were begrimed with black mud, 
which is smeared over the skin as a protection 
against musquitoes. The children were naked: the 
women wore petticoats of coarse cloth, stained in 
blotches with luurixi, a dye made from the bark of 
a tree. One of them wore a necklace of monkey's 
teeth. There were scarcely any household utensils : 
the place was bare, with the exception of two dirty 
grass hammocks hung in the corners. I missed the 
usual mandioc-sheds behind the house, with their 
surrounding cotton, cacao, coffee, and lemon trees. 
Two or three young men of the tribe were lounging 
about the low, open doorway. They were stoutly- 
built fellows, but less well-proportioned than the 
semi-civilized Indians of the Lower Amazons gen- 
erally are. The gloomy savagery, filth, and pov- 
erty of the people in this place made me feel 



MABAUA TRIBE. 419 

quite melancholy; and I was glad to return to the 
canoe." 

MARAUA TRIBE. 

A pleasanter picture is presented by the Indians 
of the Maraud tribe. Our traveller thus describes a 
visit to them : — 

" Our longest trip was to some Indian houses, a 
distance of fifteen or eighteen miles up the Sapo; 
a journey made with one Indian paddler, and occupy- 
ing a whole day. The stream is not more than forty 
or fifty yards broad : its waters are dark in color, and 
flow, as in all these small rivers, partly under shade, 
between two lofty walls of forest. We passed, in 
ascending, seven habitations, most of them hidden 
in the luxuriant foliage of the banks ; their sites 
being known only by small openings in the compact 
wall of forest, and tlie presence of a canoe or two 
tied up in little shad}^ ports. The inhabitants are 
chiefly Indians of the Maraud tribe, whose original 
territory comprises all the by-streams lying between 
the Jutahi and the Jurua, near the mouths of both 
these great tributaries. They live in separate fami- 
lies, or small hordes ; have no common chief; and are 
considered as a tribe little disposed to adopt civilized 



420 ELDORADO. 

customs, or bo friendly with the whites. One of tlie 
houses belonged to a Juri family; and we saw the 
owner, an erect, noble-looking old fellow, tattooed, as 
customary with his tribe, in a large patch over the 
middle of his face, fishing, under the shade of a colos- 
sal tree, with hook and line. He saluted us in the 
usual grave and courteous manner of the better sort 
of Indians as we passed by. 

'' We reached the last house, or rather two houses, 
about ten o'clock, and spent there several hours dur- 
ing the heat of the day. The houses, which stood 
on a high, clayey bank, were of quadrangular shape, 
partly open, like sheds, and parti}- enclosed with rude, 
mud walls, forming one or two chambers. The inhab- 
itants, a few families of Marauas, received us in a 
frank, smiling manner. None of them were tattooed: 
but the men had great holes pierced in their ear- 
lobes, in which they insert plugs of wood ; and their 
lips were drilled with smaller holes. One of the 
younger men, a fine, strapping fellow, nearly six feet 
high, with a large aquiline nose, who seerned to wish 
to be particularly friendly to me, showed me the use 
of these lip-holes, by fixing a number of little sticks 
in them, and then twisting his mouth about, and 
going through a pantomime to represent defiance in 
tlie presence of an enemy. 



MAEAUA TRIBE. 421 

" We left these friendly people about four o'clock 
in the afternoon, and, in descending the umbrageous 
river, stopped, about half-way down, at another house, 
built in one of the most charming situations I had yet 
seen in this country. A clean, narrow, sandy path- 
way led from the shady port to the house, through 
a tract of forest of indescribable luxuriance. The 
buildings stood on an eminence in the middle of a 
level, cleared space ; the firm, sandy soil, smooth as 
a floor, forming a broad terrace round them. The 
owner was a semi-civilized Indian, named Manoel ; 
a dull, taciturn fellow, who, together with his wife 
and children, seemed by no means pleased at being 
intruded on in their solitude. The family must have 
been very industrious ; for the plantations were very 
extensive, and included a little of almost all kinds of 
cultivated tropical productions, — fruit-trees, vegeta- 
bles, and even flowers for ornament. The silent old 
man had surely a fine appreciation of the beauties of 
Nature ; for the site he had chosen commanded a 
view of surprising magnificence over the summits of 
the forest ; and, to give a finish to the prospect, ho 
had planted a large number of banana-trees in the 
foreground, thus concealing the charred and dead 
stumps which would otherwise have marred the efiect 



422 ELD OR A no. 

of the rolling sea of greenery. The sun set over the 
tree-tops before we left this little Eden ; and the re- 
mainder of our journey was made slowly and pleas- 
antly, under the checkered shade of the river banks, 
by the light of the moon.'' 

THE FOREST. 

The following passage describes the scenery of 
one of the peculiar channels by which the waters 
of the Amazon communicate with those of the Pard 
River : — 

" The forest wall under which we are now moving 
consists, besides palms, of a great variety of ordinary 
forest-trees. From the highest branches of these, 
down to the water, sweep ribbons of climbing-plants 
of the most diverse and ornamental foliage possible. 
Creeping convolvuli and others have made use of the 
slender lianas and hanging aii--roots as ladders to 
climb by. Now and then appears a mimosa or other 
tree, having similar fine pinnate foliage ; and thick 
masses of inga border the water, from whose branches 
hang long bean-pods, of different shape and size ac- 
cording to the species, some of them a yard in length. 
Flowers there are very few. I see now and then 
a gorgeous crimson blossom on long spikes, orna- 



THE LIANA. 423 

meriting the sombre foliage towards the summits of 
the forest. I suppose it to belong to a climber 
of the Combretaceous order. There are also a few 
yellow and violet trumpet-flowers. The blossoms of 
the ingas, although not conspicuous, are delicately 
beautiful. The forest all along offers so dense a 
front, that one never obtains a gh'mpse into the 
interior of the wilderness." 

THE LIANA. 

" The plant which seems to the traveller most curi- 
ous and singular is the liana, a kind of osier, which 
serves for cordage, and which is very abundant in all 
the hot parts of America. All the species of this 
genus have this in common, that they twine around 
the trees and shrubs in their way, and after progres- 
sively extending to the branches, sometimes to a pro- 
digious height, throw out shoots, which, declining 
perpendicularly, strike root in the ground beneath, 
and rise again to repeat the same course of uncom- 
mon growth. Other filaments, again, driven obliquely 
by the winds, frequently attach themselves to con- 
tiguous trees, and form a confused spectacle of cord, 
some iu suspension, and others stretched in every 
direction, not unfrequently resembling the rigging of 



424 ELDORADO. 

a ship. Some of these lianas are as thick as the arm 
of a man ; and some strangle and destroy the tree 
round which they twine, as the boa-constrictor does 
its victims. At times it happens that the tree dies 
at the root, and the trunk rots, and falls in powder, 
leaving nothing bat the spirals of liana, in form of a 
tortuous column, insulated and open to the day. Thus 
Nature laughs to scorn and defies the imitations of 
Art." 

CACAO. 

" The Amazons region is the original home of the 
principal species of chocolate-tree, — the theobroma 
cacao ; and it grows in abundance in the forests of 
the upper river. The forest here is cleared before 
planting, and the trees are grown in rows. The 
smaller cultivators are all very poor. Labor is 
scarce : one family generally manages its own small 
plantation of ten to fifteen thousand trees ; but, at 
harvest-time, neighbors assist each other. It ap- 
peared to me to be an easy, pleasant life : the work 
is all done under shade, and occupies only a few 
weeks in the year. 

" The cultivated crop appears to be a precarious 
one. Little or no care, however, is bestowed on the 
trees; and weeding is done very inefficiently. Tho 



THE COW-TREE. 425 

plantations are generally old, and have been made on 
the low ground near the river, which renders them 
liable to inundation when this rises a few inches 
more than the average. There is plenty of higher 
land quite suitable to the tree ; but it is uncleared : 
and the want of labor and enterprise prevents the 
establishment of new plantations." 

THE COW-TREE. 

" We had heard a good deal about this tree, and 
about its producing from its bark a copious snpply of 
milk as pleasant to drink as that of the cow. We had 
also eaten of its fruit at Para, where it is sold in the 
streets by negro market-women : we were glad, there- 
fore, to see this wonderful tree growing in its native 
wilds. It is one of the largest of the forest-mon- 
archs, and is peculiar in appearance, on account of 
its deeply-scored, reddish, and ragged bark. A de- 
coction of the bark, I was told, is used as a red dye 
for cloth. A few days afterward, we tasted its milk, 
which was drawn from dry logs that had been stand- 
ing many days in the hot sun at the saw-mills. It 
was pleasant with coffee, but had a slight rankness 
when drunk pure. It soon thickens to a glue, which 
' is very tenacious, and is often used to cement broken 



426 ELDORADO. 

crockery. I was told that it was not safe to drink 
much of it ; for a slave had recently lost his life 
through taking it too freely. 

" To our great disappointment, we saw no flowers, 
or only such as were insignificant in appearance. I 
believe it is now tolerably well ascertained that the 
majority of forest-trees in equatorial Brazil have 
small and inconspicuous flowers. Flower-frequenting 
insects are also rare in the forest. Of course, they 
would not be found where their favorite food was 
wanting. In the open country, on the Lower Ama- 
zons, flowering trees and bushes are more abundant ; 
and there a large number of floral insects are at- 
tracted. The forest -bees in South America are 
more frequently seen feeding on the sweet sap which 
exudes from the trees than on flowers." 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE NATUEAUST ON THE AMAZON. 

/^N the 16th of Jaiiuary, the dry season came ab- 
^-^^ ruptly to an end. The sea-breezes, which had 
been increasing in force for some days, suddenly 
ceased, and the atmosphere became misty : at length, 
heavy clouds collected where a uniform blue sky had 
for many weeks prevailed, and down came a succes- 
sion of heavy showers, the first of which lasted a 
whole day and night. This seemed to give a new 
stimulus to animal life. On the first night, there 
was a tremendous uproar, — tree-frogs, crickets, goat- 
suckers, and owls, all joining to perform a deafening 
concert. One kind of goat-sucker kept repeating at 
intervals, throughout the night, a phrase similar to 
the Portuguese words, ' Joao corta pao,' — ' John, 
cut wood ; ' a phrase which forms the Brazilian name 
of the bird. An owl in one of the trees muttered 
now and then a succession of syllables resembling 

427 



428 ELDORADO. 

the word 'murucututu.' Sometimes the croaking and 
hooting of frogs and toads were so loud, that we could 
not hear one another's voices within doors. Swarms 
of dragon-flies appeared in the daj'time about the 
pools of water created by the rain ; and ants and 
termites came forth in great numbers." 

ANTS. 

This region is the very headquarters and me- 
tropolis of ants. There are numerous species, differ- 
ing in character and habits, but all of them at war 
with man, and the different species with one another. 
Our author thus relates his observations of the saiiba- 
ant : — 

"In our first walks, we were puzzled to account 
for large mounds of earth, of a different color from 
the surrounding soil, which were thrown up in the 
plantations and woods. Some of them were very ex- 
tensive, being forty yards in circumference, but not 
more than two feet in height. We soon ascertained 
that these were the work of the saiibas, being the 
outworks, or domes, which overlie and protect the 
entrances to their vast subterranean galleries. On 
close examination, I found the earth of which they 
are composed to consist of very minute granules, ag- 



ANTS. 429 

glomerated without cement, and forming many rows 
of» little ridges and turrets. The difiference of color 
from the superficial soil is owing to their being 
formed of the undersoil brought up from a considera- 
ble depth. It is very rarely that the ants are seen at 
work on these mounds. The entrances seem to be 
generally closed : only now and then, when some par- 
ticular work is going on, are the galleries opened. In 
the larger hillocks, it would require a great amount 
of excavation to get at the main galleries ; but I suc- 
ceeded in removing portions of the dome in smaller 
hillocks, and then I found that the minor entrances 
converged, at the depth of about two feet, to one 
broad, elaborately worked gallery, or mine, which was 
four or five inches in diameter. 

" The habit of the saiiba-ant, of clipping and carry- 
ing away immense quantities of leaves, has long been 
recorded in books of natural history ; but it has not 
hitherto been shown satisfactorily to what use it ap- 
plies the leaves. I discovered this only after much 
time spent in investigation. The leaves are used to 
thatch the domes which cover the entrances to their 
subterranean dwellings, thereby protecting from the 
deluging rains the young broods in the nests be- 
neath. Small hillocks, covering entrances to the 



430 ELDORADO. 

underground chambers, may be found in sheltered 
places; and these are always thatched with leavSs, 
mingled with granules of earth. The heavily-laden 
workers, each carrying its segment of leaf vertically, 
the lower end secured by its mandibles, troop up, and 
cast their burthens on the hillock ; another relay of 
laborers place the leaves in position, covering them 
with a layer of earthy granules, which are brought 
one by one from the soil beneath. 

" It is a most interesting sight to see the vast 
host of busy, diminutive workers occupied on this 
work. Unfortunately, they choose cultivated trees 
for their purpose, such as the coffee and orange 
trees." 

THE FIRE-ANT. 

" Aveyros may be called the headquarters of the 
fire-ant, which might be fittingly termed the scourge 
of this fine river. It is found only on sandy soils, in 
open places, and seems to thrive most in the neigh- 
borhood oF houses and weedy villages, such as Avey- 
ros : it does not occur at all in the shades of the 
forest. Aveyros was deserted a few years before my 
visit, on account of this little tormentor ; and the in- 
habitants had only recently returned to their houses, 



THE FIRE-ANT. 431 

thinking its numbers had decreased. It is a small 
species, of a shining reddish color. The soil of the 
whole village is undermined by it. The houses are 
overrun with them : they dispute every fragment of 
food with the inhabitants, and destroy clothing for 
the sake of the starch. All eatables are obliged to 
be suspended in baskets from the rafters, and the 
cords well soaked with copaiba-balsam, which is the 
only thing known to prevent them from climbing. 
They seem to attack persons from sheer malice. If 
we stood for a few moments in the street, even at a 
distance from their nests, we were sure to be over- 
run, and severely punished ; for, the moment an ant 
touched the flesh, he secured himself with his jaws, 
doubled in his tail, and stung with all his might. The 
sting is likened, by the Brazilians, to the puncture of 
a red-hot needle. When we were seated on chairs in 
the evenings, in front of the house, to enjoy a chat 
with our neighbors, we had stools to support our 
feet, the legs of which, as well as those of the chairs, 
were well anointed with the balsam. The cords of 
hammocks are obliged to be smeared in the same 
way, to prevent the ants from paying sleepers a 
visit." 



432 ELDORADO. 



BUTTEEFLIES. 



"At Villa Nova, I found a few species of butter- 
flies which occurred nowhere else on the Amazons. 
In the broad alleys of the forest, several species of 
Morpho were common. One of these is a sister-form 
to the Morpho Hecuba, and has been described under 
the name of Morpho Cisseis. It is a grand sight to 
see these colossal butterflies by twos and threes float- 
ing at a great height in the still air of a tropical 
morning. They flap their wings only at long inter- 
vals ; for I have noticed them to sail a very consid- 
erable distance without a stroke. Their wing-muscles, 
and the thorax to which they are attached, are very 
feeble in comparison with the wide extent and weight 
of the wings ; but the large expanse of these mem- 
bers doubtless assists the insects in maintaining their 
aerial course. The largest specimens of Morpho Cis- 
seis measure seven inches and a half in expanse. 
Another smaller kind, which I could not capture, was 
of a pale, silvery-blue color ; and the polished surface 
of its wings flashed like a silver speculum, as the 
insect flapped its wings at a great elevation in the 
sunlight." 



THE BIRD-CATCHING SPIDER. 433 

THE BIRD-CATCHING SPIDER. 

"At Cameta, I chanced to verify a fact relating to 
the habits of a large, hairy spider of the genus My- 
gale, in a manner worth recording. The individual 
was nearly two inches in length of body ; but the 
legs expanded seven inches, and the entire body and 
legs were covered with coarse gray and reddish 
hairs. I was attracted by a movement of the mon- 
ster on a tree-trunk : it was close beneath a deep 
crevice in the tree, across which was stretched a 
dense white web. The lower part of the web was 
broken ; and two small birds, finches, were entangled 
in the pieces. They were about the size of the Eng- 
lish siskin ; and I judged the two to be male and 
female. One of them was quite dead ; the other la}^ 
under the body of the spider, not quite dead, and was 
smeared with the filthy liquor, or saliva, exuded by 
the monster. I drove away the spider, and took the 
birds ; but the second one soon died. The fact of 
a species of mygale sallying forth at night, mounting 
trees, and sucking the eggs and young of humming- 
birds, has been record^ long ago by Madame Merian 
and Palisot de Beauvois ; but, in the absence of any 

28 



434 ELDORADO. 

confirmation, it has come to be discredited. From the 
way the fact has been related, it would appear that it 
had been derived from the report of natives, and had 
not been witnessed by the narrators. I found the 
circumstance to be quite a novelty to the residents 
hereabouts. 

" The mygales are quite common insects. Some 
species make their cells under stones ; others form 
artificial tunnels in the earth ; and some build their 
dens in the thatch of houses. The natives call them 
crab-spiders. The hairs with which they are clothed 
come off when touched, and cause a peculiar and al- 
most maddening irritation. The first specimen that 
I killed and prepared was handled incautiously ; and 
I suffered terribly for three days- afterward. I think 
this is not owing to any poisonous quality residing in 
the hairs, but to their being short and hard, and thus 
getting into the fine creases of the skin. Some my- 
gales are of immense size. One day, I saw the chil- 
dren belonging to an Indian family who collected for 
me with one of these monsters, secured by a cord 
round its waist, by which they were leading it about 
the house as they would a do^." 



BATS. 435 

BATS. 

"At Caripi, near Pard, I was much troubled by 
bats. The room where I slept had not been used for 
many months, and the roof was open to the tiles and 
rafters. I was aroused about midnight by the rush- 
ing noise made by vast hosts of bats sweeping about 
the room. Tlie air was alive with them. They had 
put out the lamp ; and, when I relighted it, the place 
appeared blackened with the impish multitudes that 
were whirling round and round. After I had laid 
about well with a stick for a few minutes, they disap- 
peared among the tiles ; but, when all was still again, 
they returned, and once more extinguished the light. 
I took no further notice of them, and went to sleep. 
The next night, several of them got into my ham- 
mock. I seized them as they were crawling over me, 
and dashed them against the wall. The next morn- 
ing, I found a wound, evidently caused by a bat, on 
my hip. This was rather unpleasant: so I set to 
work with the negroes, and tried to exterminate 
them. I shot a great many as they hung from the 
rafters ; and the negroes, having mounted with lad- 
ders to the roof outside, routed out from beneath 
the eaves many hundreds of them, including young 



436 ELDORADO. 

broods. There were altogether four species. By far 
the greater number belonged to the Dysopes perotis, 
a species having very large ears, and measuring two 
feet from tip to tip of the wings. I was never at- 
tacked by bats, except on this occasion. The fact of 
their sucking the blood of persons sleeping, from 
wounds which they make in the toes, is now well 
established ; but it is only a few persons who are 
subject to this blood-letting." 

PARROTS. 

" On recrossing the river in the evening, a pretty 
little parrot fell from a great height headlong into the 
water near the boat, having dropped from a flock 
which seemed to be fighting in the air. One of the 
Indians secured it for me; and I was surprised to find 
the bird uninjured. There had probably been a quar- 
rel about mates, resulting in our little stranger being 
temporarily stunned by a blow on the head from the 
beak of a jealous comrade. It was of the species 
called by the natives Maracand ; the plumage green, 
with a patch of scarlet under the wings. I wished to 
keep the bird alive, and tame i-t; but all our efforts 
to reconcile it to captivity were vain : it refused food, 
bit every one who went near it, and damaged its plu- 



PARROTS. 437 

mage in its exertions to free itself. My friends in 
Aveyros said that this kind of parrot never became 
domesticated. After trj^iug nearly a week, I was 
recommended to lend the intractable creature to an 
old Indian woman living in the village, who Avas said 
to be a skilful bird-tamer. In two days, she brought it 
back almost as tame as the familiar love-birds of our 
aviaries. I kept my little pet for upward of two 
years. It learned to talk pretty well, and was con- 
sidered quite a wonder, as being a bird usually so 
difficult of domestication. I do not know what arts 
the old woman used. Capt. Antonio said she fed it 
with her saliva. 

" Our maracana used to accompany us sometimes 
in our rambles, one of the lads carrying it on his 
head. One day, in the middle of a long forest-road, 
it was missed, having clung probably to an overhang- 
ing bough, and escaped into the thicket without the 
boy perceiving it. Three hours afterwards, on our 
return by the same path, a voice greeted us in a col- 
loquial tone as we passed, ' Maracana ! ' We looked 
about for some time, but could not see any thing, 
until the word was repeated with emphasis, ' Mara- 
cana ! ' when we espied the little truant half con- 
cealed in the foliage of a tree. He came down, and 



438 ELDORADO. 

delivered himself up, evidently as much rejoiced at 
the meeting as we were." 

TURTLE-EGGS AND OIL. 

"I accompanied Cardozo in many wanderings on 
the Solimoens, or Upper Amazons, during which we 
visited the praias (sand-islands), the turtle-pools in 
the forests, and the by-streams and lakes in the great 
desert river. His object was mainly to superintend 
the business of digging up turtle-eggs on the sand- 
banks ; having been elected commandante for the year 
of the praia-real (royal sand-island) of Shimuni, the 
one lying nearest to Ega. There are four of these 
royal praias within the district, all of which are visit- 
ed annually by the Ega people, for the purpose of 
collecting eggs, and extracting oil from their yolks. 
Each has its commander, whose business is to make 
arrangements for securing to every inhabitant an 
equal chance in the egg-harvest, by placing sentinels 
to protect the turtles while laying. The turtles de- 
scend from the interior pools to the main river in 
July and August, before the outlets dry up, and then 
seek, in countless swarms, their favorite sand-islands ; 
for it is only a few praias that are selected by them 
out of the great number existing. 



TURTLE-EGGS AND OIL. 439 

" We left Ega, on our first trip to visit tbe sentinels 
while the turtles were 3^et laying, on the 26th of Sep- 
tember. We found the two sentinels lodged in a cor- 
ner of the praia, or sand-bank, where it commences, at 
the foot of the towering forest-wall of the island; hav- 
ing built for themselves a little rancho with poles and 
palm-leaves. Great preparations are obliged to be 
taken to avoid disturbing the sensitive turtles, who, 
previous to crawling ashore to lay, assemble in great 
shoals off the sand-bank. The men, during this time, 
take care not to show themselves, and warn off any 
fisherman who wishes to pass near the place. Their 
fires are made in a deep hollow near the borders of 
the forest, so that the smoke may not be visible. The 
passage of a boat through the shallow waters where 
the* animals are congregated, or the sight of a man, or 
a fire on the sand-bank, would prevent the turtles 
from leaving the water that night to lay their eggs ; 
and, if the causes of alarm were repeated once or 
twice, they would forsake the praia for some quieter 
place. Soon after we arrived, our men were sent 
with the net to catch a supply of fish for supper. In 
half an hour, four or five large basketsful wore brought 
in. The sun set soon after our meal was cooked : we 
were then obliged to extinoruish the fire, and remove 



440 ELDORADO. 

our supper-materials to the sleeping-ground, a spit of 
land about a mile off; this course being necessary on 
account of the musquitoes, which swarm at night 
on the borders of the forest. 

" I rose from my hammock at daylight, and found 
Cardozo and the men already up, watching the tur- 
tles. The sentinels had erected for this purpose a 
stage about fifty feet high, on a tall tree near their 
station, the ascent to which was by a roughly-made 
ladder of woody lianas. The turtles lay their eggs 
by night, leaving the water in vast crowds, and 
crawling to the central and highest part of the 
praia. These places are, of course, the last to go 
under water, when, in unusually wet seasons, the 
river rises before the eggs are hatched by the heat 
of the sand. One would almost believe from this 
that the animals used forethought in choosing a 
place ; but it is simply one of those many instances 
in animals where unconscious habit has the same 
result as conscious prevision. The hours between 
midnight and dawn are the busiest. The turtles 
excavate, with their broad-webbed paws, deep holes 
in the fine sand; the first-comer, in each case, mak- 
ing a pit about three feet deep, laying its eggs 
(about a hundred and twenty in number), and cover- 



TVBTLE-EGGS AND OIL. 441 

ing them witli sand ; tlm next making its deposit at 
the top of that of its predecessor ; and so on, nntil 
every pit is full. The whole body of turtles fre- 
quenting a praiiv does not finish laying in less than 
fourteen or fifteen days, even when there is no 
interruption. When all have done, the area over 
Avhich they have excavated is distinguishable from 
the rest of the praia only by signs of the sand having 
been a little disturbed. 

" On arriving at the edge of the forest, I mounted 
the sentinels' stage just in time to see the turtles 
retreating to the water on the opposite side of the 
sand-bank after having laid tlieir eggs. The sight 
was well worth the trouble of ascending the shaky 
ladder. They were about a mile off; but the sur-^ 
face of the sand was blackened with the multitudes 
which were waddling towards the river. The mar- 
gin of the praia was rather steep ; and they all 
seemed to tumble, head-first, down the declivity, into 
the water." 

When the turtles have finished depositing their 
eggs, the process of collecting them takes place, 
of which our author gives an account as fol- 
lows : — 



442 ELDORADO. 

THE EGG-HARVEST. 

" My next excursion was made in company of Se- 
nior Cardozo, in the season when all the population 
of the villages turns out to dig up turtle-eggs, and to 
revel on the praias. Placards were posted on the 
church-doors at Ega, announcing that the excavation 
on Sliimuni would commence on the 17th October. 
We set out on the 16th, and passed on the way, in 
our well-manned igarite (or two-masted boat), a large 
number of people, men, women, and children, in ca- 
noes of all sizes, wending their way as if to a great 
holiday gathering. By the morning of the Hth, some 
four hundred persons were assembled on the borders 
,of the sand-bank ; each family having erected a rude 
temporary shed of poles and palm-leaves to protect 
themselves from the sun and rain. Large copper ket- 
tles to prepare the oil, and hundreds of red earthen- 
ware jars, were scattered about on the sand. 

" The excavation of the taholeiro, collecting the 
eggs, and preparing the oil, occupied four days. 
The commandante first took down the names of all 
the masters of households, with the number of per- 
sons each intended to employ in digging. He then 
exacted a payment of about fourpence a head towards 



THE EGG-HAr.VEST. 443 

defraying the expense of sentinels. The whole were 
then allowed to go to the taboleiro. They ranged 
themselves round the circle, each person armed with 
a paddle, to be used as a spade ; and then all began 
simultaneously to dig, on a signal being given — the 
roll of drums — by order of the commandante. It was 
an animating sight to behold the wide circle of rival 
diggers throwing up clouds of sand in their energetic 
labors, and working gradually toward the centre of 
the ring. A little rest was taken during the great 
heat of mid<lay ; and, in the evening, the eggs were 
carried to the huts in baskets. By the end of the 
second day, the taboleiro was exhausted : large 
mounds of eggs, some of them four or five feet in 
height, were then seen by the side of each hut, the 
produce of the labors of the family. 

" When no more eggs are to be found, the mashing 
process begins. The egg, it may be mentioned, has 
a flexible or leathery shell : it is quite round, and 
somewhat larger than a hen's Qgg. The whole heap 
is thrown into an empty canoe, and mashed with 
wooden prongs ; but sometimes naked Indians and 
children jump into the mass, and tread it down, be- 
smearing themselves with the yolk, and making about 
as filthy a scene as can well be imagined. This being 



444 ELDORADO. 

finished, water is poured into the canoe, and the fatty- 
muss then left for a few hours to be heated by the 
sun, on which the oil separates, and rises to the sur- 
face. The floating oil is afterwards skimmed off with 
long spoons, made by tying large mussel-shells to the 
end of rods, and purified over the fire in copper-kettles. 
At least six thousand jars, holding each three gallons 
of the oil, are exported annually from the Upper Ama- 
zons and the Madeira to Para, where it is used for 
lighting, frying fish, and other purposes." 

ELECTRIC EELS. 

" We walked over moderately elevated and dry 
ground for about a mile, and then descended three 
or four feet to the dry bed of another creek. This 
was pierced in the same way as the former water- 
course, with round holes full of muddy water. They 
occurred at intervals of a few yards, and had the ap- 
pearance of having been made by the hands of man. 
As we approached, I was startled at seeing a num- 
ber of large serpent-like heads bobbing above the 
surface. They proved to be those of electric eels ; 
and it now occurred to me that the round holes were 
made by these animals working constantly round and 
round in the moist, muddy soil. Their depth (some 



ELECTPilC EELS. 445 

of them were at least eight feet deep) was doubtless 
due also to the movements of the eels in the soft soil, 
and accounted for their not drying up, in the fine 
season, with the rest of the creek. Thus, while 
alligators and turtles in this great inundated forest 
region retire to the larger pools during the dry 
season, the electric eels make for themselves little 
ponds in which to pass the season of drought, 

" My companions now cut each a stout pole, and 
proceeded to eject the eels in order to get at the 
other fishes, with which they had discovered the 
ponds to abound. I amused them all very much by 
showing how the electric shock from the eels could 
pass from one person to another. We joined hands 
in a line, while I touched the biggest and freshest of 
the animals on the head with my hunting-knife. We 
found that this experiment did not succeed more than 
three times with the same eel, when out of the water; 
for, the fourth time, the shock was hardly percep- 
tible." 



CHAPTER XVII. 



ANIMATED NATUEE. 



r I iHE number and variety of climbing trees in 
the Amazons forests are interesting, taken in 
connection with the fact of the very general ten- 
dency of the animals also to become climbers. All 
the Amazonian, and in fact all South- American mon- 
keys, are climbers. There is no group answering to 
the baboons of the Old World, which live on the 
ground. The gallinaceous birds of the country, the 
representatives of the fowls and pheasants of Asia 
and Africa, are all adapted, by the position of the 
toes, to perch on trees ; and it is only on trees, at a 
great height, that they are to be seen. Many other 
similar instances could be enumerated." 

M ONKEYS . 

" On the Upper Amazons, I once saw a tame indi- 
vidual of the Midas leoninus, a species first de- 

446 



MONKEYS. 447 

scribed by Humboldt, which was still more playful 
and intelligent than the more common M. ursulus. 
This rare and beautiful monkey is only seven inches 
in length, exclusive of the tail. It is named leoui- 
nus on account of the long, brown mane which hangs 
from the neck, and which gives it very much the ap- 
pearance of a diminutive lion. In the house where 
it was kept, it "was familiar with every one : its 
greatest pleasure seemed to be to climb about the 
bodies of different persons who entered. Tlie first 
time I went in, it ran across the room straightway to 
the chair on which I had sat down, and climbed up to 
my shoulder : arrived there, it turned round, and 
looked into my face, showing its little teeth, and chat- 
tering, as though it would say, " Well, and how do 
you do ? " M. de St. Hilaire relates of a species of 
this genus, that it distinguished between different 
objects depicted on an engraving. M. Ardouin 
showed it the portraits of a cat and a wasp : at 
these it became much terrified ; whereas, at the sight 
of a figure of a grasshopper or beetle, it precipitated 
itself on the picture, as if to seize the objects there 
represented." 



448 ELDORADO. 



THE CAIARARA. 



" The light-brown caiarara is pretty generally dis- 
tributed over the forests of the level country. I saw 
it frequently on the banks of the Upper Amazons, 
where it was always a treat to watch a flock leaping 
amongst the trees ; for it is' the most wonderful per- 
former in this line of the whole tribe. The troops 
consist of thirty or more individuals, which travel in 
single file. When the foremost of the flock reaches 
the outermost branch of an unusually lofty tree, he 
springs forth into the air without a moment's hesi- 
tation, and alights on the dome of yielding foliage 
belonging to the neighboring tree, ma3^be fifty feet 
beneath ; all the rest following his example. They 
grasp, on falling, with hands and tail, right them- 
selves in a moment, and then away they go, along 
branch and bough, to the next tree. 

" The caiarara is very frequently kept as a pet in 
the houses of natives. I kept one myself for about 
a year, which accompanied mo in my voyages, and 
became very familiar, coming to me always on wet 
nights to share my blanket. It keeps the liouse 
where it is kept in a perpetual uproar. When 
alarmed or hungry, or excited by envy, it screams 



THE CO AIT A. 449 

piteously. It is always making some noise or other, 
often screwing up its mouth, and uttering a succes- 
sion of loud notes resembling a whistle. Mine lost 
my favor at last by killing, in one of his jealous fits, 
another and much choicer pet, — the nocturnal, owl- 
faced monkey. Some one had given this a fruit 
which the other coveted : so the two got to quarrel- 
ling. The owl-faced fought only with his paws, 
clawing out, and hissing, like a cat : the other soon 
obtained the mastery, and, before I could interfere, 
finished his rival by cracking its skull with its teeth. 
Upon this I got rid of him." 

THE COAITA. 

" The coaita is a large, black monkey, covered 
with coarse hair, and having the prominent parts of, 
the face of a tawny, flesh-colored hue. The coaitas 
are called by some French zoologists spider-mon- 
keys, on account of the length and slenderness of 
their body and limbs. In these apes, the tail, as a 
prehensile organ, reaches its highest degree of per- 
fection ; and, on this account, it would perhaps be 
correct to consider the coaita as the extreme devel- 
opment of the American type of apes. 

"The tail of the coaita is endowed with a wonder- 

29 



450 ELDORADO. 

fill degree of flexibility. It is always in motion, 
coiling and uncoiling like the trunk of an elephant, 
and grasping whatever comes within reach. 

"The flesh of this monkey is much esteemed by the 
natives in this part of the country ; and the military 
commandant every week sends a negro hunter to 
shoot one .for his table. One day I went on a coaita- 
hunt, with a negro-slave to show me the way. "When 
in the deepest part of the ravine, we heard a rus- 
tling sound in the trees overhead ; and Manoel soon 
pointed out a coaita to me. There was something 
human-like in its appearance, as the lean, shaggy 
creature moved deliberately among the branches at 
a great height. I fii*ed, but, unfortunately, only 
wounded it. It fell, with a crash, headlong, about 
twenty or thirty feet, and then caught a bough with 
its tail, which grasped it instantaneously ; and there 
the animal remained suspended in mid-air. Before 
I could reload, it recovered itself, and mounted 
nimbly to the topmost branches, out of the reach 
of a fowling-piece, where we could perceive the 
poor thing apparently probing the wound with its 
fingers." 



SCARLET-FACED MONKEY. 451 

THE TAME COAITA. 

"I once saw a most ridiculously tame coaita. It 
was an old female, which accompanied its owner, a 
trader on the river, in all his voyages. By way of 
giving me a specimen of its intelligence and feeling, 
its master set to, and rated it soundly, calling it scamp, 
heathen, thief, and so forth, all through the copious 
Portuguese vocabulary of vituperation. The poor 
monkey,' quietly seated on the ground, seemed to be 
in sore trouble at this display of anger. It began by 
looking earnestly at him ; then it whined, and lastly 
rocked its body to and fro with emotion, crying 
piteously, and passing its long, gaunt arms continually 
over its forehead ; for this was its habit when ex- 
cited, and the front of the head was worn quite bald 
in consequence. At length, its master altered his 
tone. ' It's aU a lie,' my old woman. ^ You're an an- 
gel, a flower, a good, affectionate old creature,' and 
so forth. Immediately the poor monkey ceased its 
wailing, and soon after came over to where the man 
sat." 

SCARLET-FACED MONKEY. 

The most singular of the Simian family in Brazil 
are the scarlet-faced monkeys, called by the Indians 



452 ELDORADO. 

Uakari, of which there are two varieties, the wliite 
and red-haired. Mi-. Bates first met with the white- 
haired variety under the following circumstances : — 

" Early one sunny morning, in the year 1855, I saw 
in the streets of Ega a number of Indians carrying 
on their shoulders down to the port, to be embarked 
on the Upper Amazons steamer, a large cage made 
of strong lianas, some twelve feet in length, and five 
in height, containing a dozen monkeys of the most gro- 
tesque appearance. Their bodies (about eighteen 
inches in height, exclusive of limbs) were clothed 
from neck to tail with very long, straight, and shin- 
ing whitish hair ; their heads were nearly bald, 
owing to the very short crop of thin gray hairs ; and. 
their faces glowed with the most vivid scarlet hue. 
As a finish to their striking physiognomy, they had 
bushy whiskers of a sandy color, meeting under the 
chin, and reddish yellow eyes. They sat gravely and 
silently in a group, and altogether presented a strange 
spectacle." 

Another interesting creature is the owl-faced night 
ape. These monkeys are not only owl-faced, but 
their habits are those of the moping bird. 

" They sleep all day long in hollow trees, and como 
forth to prey on insects, and eat fruits, only in the 



SCARLET-FAGED MONKEY. 453 

night. They are of small size, the body being about 
a foot long, and the tail fourteen inches ; and are 
clothed with soft gray and brown fur, similar in sub- 
stance to that of the rabbit. Their physiognomy 
reminds one of an owl or tiger-cat. The face is 
round, and encircled by a ruff of whitish fur ; the muz- 
zle is not at all prouiinent ; the mouth and chin are 
small ; the ears are very short, scarcely appearing 
above the hair of the head ; and the eyes are large, 
and yellowish in color, imparting the staring expres- 
sion of nocturnal animals of prey. The forehead is 
whitish, and decorated with three black stripes, which, 
in one of the species, continue to the crown, and in 
the other meet on the top of the forehead. 

" These monkeys, although sleeping by day, are 
aroused by the least noise ; so that, when a person 
passes by a tree in which a number of them are con- 
cealed, he is startled by the sudden apparition of 
a group of little striped faces crowding a hole in a 
trunk." 

Mr. Bates had one of the Nyctipithseci for a pet, 
Avhich was kept in a box containing a broad-mouthed 
glass jar, into which it would dive, head foremost, 
Avhen any one entered the room, turning round inside, 
and thrusting forth its inquisitive face an instant after-^ 



454 ■ ULDORADO. 

ward to stare at the intruder. The Nyctipithecus, 
when tamed, renders one very essential service to its 
owner: it clears the house of bats as well as of insect 
vermin. 

The most diminutive of the Brazilian monkeys is 
the " Hapale pygmeeus/' only seven inches long in 
the body, Avith its little face adorned with long, brown 
whiskers, which are naturally brushed back over the 
ears. The general color of the animal is brownish- 
tawny ; but the tail is elegantly barred with black. 

Mr. Bates closes his account by stating that the 
total number of species of monkeys which he found 
inhabiting the margins of the Upper and Lower Ama- 
zons was thirty-eight, belonging to twelve different 
genera, forming two distinct families. 

THE SLOTH. 

" I once had an opportunity, in one of my excur- 
sions, of watching the movements of a sloth. Some 
travellers in South America have described the sloth 
as very nimble in its native woods, and have disputed 
the justness of the name which has been bestowed 
upon it. The inhabitants of the Amazons region, how- 
ever, both Indians and descendants of the Portuguese, 
hold to the common opinion, and consider the sloth 



THE SLOTH. 455 

as the type of laziness. It is very common for one 
native to call to another, in reproaching him for idle- 
ness, ' Bicho do Embaiiba ' (beast of the cecropia- 
tree) ; the leaves of the cecropia being the food ofthe 
sloth. It is a strange sight to see the uncouth crea- 
ture, fit production of these silent woods, lazily 
moving from branch to branch. Every movement 
betrays, not indolence exactly, but extreme caution. 
He never looses his hold from one branch without 
first securing himself to the next ; and, when he does 
not immediately find a bough to grasp with the rigid 
hooks into which his paws are so curiously trans- 
formed, he raises his body, supported on his hind 
legs, and claws around in search of a fresh foothold. 
After watching the animal for about half an hour, I 
gave him a charge of shot: he fell with a terrific 
crash, but caught a bough in his descent with his 
powerful claws, and remained suspended. Two days 
afterward, I found the body of the sloth on the 
ground ; the animal having dropped, on the relaxation 
of the muscles, a few hours after death. In one of 
our voyages, I saw a aloth swimming across a river 
at a place where it was probably three hundred yards 
broad. Our men caught the beast, and cooked and 
ate him." 



456 ELDORADO. 

THE ANACONDA. 

" We had an unwelcome visitor while at anchor in 
the port. I was awakened a little after midnight, as 
I lay in my little cabin, by a heavy blow struck at the 
sides of the canoe close to my head, succeeded by the 
sound of a weighty body plunging in the water. I 
got up ; but all was quiet again, except the cackle of 
fowls in our hen-coop, which hung over the side of 
the vessel, about three feet from the cabin-door. 
Next morning I found my poultry loos^ about the 
canoe, and a large rent in the bottom of the hen-coop, 
which was about two feet from the surface of the 
water. A couple of fowls were missing. 

"Antonio said the depredator was the sucumju, the 
Indian name for the anaconda, or great water-ser- 
pent, which had for months past been haunting this 
part of the river, and had carried off many ducks and 
fowls from the ports of various houses. I was in- 
clined to doubt the fact of a serpent striking at its 
prey from the water, and thought an alligator more 
likely to be the culprit, although we had not yet met 
with alligators in the river. Some days afterward, 
the young men belonging to the different settle- 
ments agreed together to go in search of the ser- 



ALLIGATORS. 457 

pents. They began in a systematic manner, forming 
two parties, each embarked in three or four canoes, 
and starting from points several miles apart, whence 
they gradually approximated, searching all the little 
inlets on both sides of the river. The reptile was 
found at last, sunning itself on a log at the mouth of 
a muddy rivulet, and despatched with harpoons. I 
saw it the day alter it was killed. It was not a very 
large specimen, measuring only eighteen feet nine 
inches in length, and sixteen inches in circumference 
at the widest part of the body." 

ALT-TGATORS. 

'' Our rancho was a large one, and was erected in a 
line with the others, near the edge of the sand-bank, 
which sloped rather abruptly to the water. During 
the first week, the people were all more or less 
troubled by alligators. Some halfdozen full-grown 
ones were in attendance off the praia, floating about 
on the lazily-flowing, muddy water. The dryness of 
the weather had increased since we left Shimuni, 
the currents had slackened, and the heat in the mid- 
dle of the day was almost insupportable. But no one 
could descend to bathe without being advanced upon 
by one or other of these hungry monsters. There 



458 ELDORADO. 

was much offtil cast into the river ; and this, of conrse, 
attracted them to the place. Every day, the»e visitors 
became bolder : at length, they reached a pitch of 
impudence that was quite intolerable. Cardozo had 
a poodle-dog named Carlito, which some grateful 
traveller whom he had befriended had sent him from 
Rio Janeiro. lie took great pride in this dog. keep- 
ing it well sheared, and preserving his coat as white 
as soap and water could make it. We slept in our 
raucho, in hammocks slung between the outer posts; 
a large wood fire (fed with a kind of wood abun- 
dant on the banks of the river, which keeps alight all 
night) being made in tlie middle, by the side of 
which slept Carlito on a little mat. One night, I was 
awoke by a great uproar. It was caused by Cardozo 
hurling burning firewood with loud curses at a huge 
cayman, which had crawled up the bank, and passed 
beneath my hammock (being nearest the water) 
towards the place where Carlito lay. The dog raised 
the alarm in time. The reptile backed out, and tum- 
bled down the bank into the river ; the sparks from 
the brands hurled at him flying from his bony hide. 
Cardozo threw a harpoon at him, but without doing 
him any harm." 



THE rUMA. — THE GREAT ANT-EATER. 459 

THE PUMA. 

" One day, I was searching for insects in the bark 
of a fallen tree, Avhen I saw a large, cat-like animal 
advancing towards the spot. It came within a dozen 
yards before perceiving me. I had no weapon with 
me but an old chisel, and was getting ready to defend 
myself if it should make a spring ; when it turned 
round hastily, and trotted off. I did not obtain a very 
distinct view of it ; but I could see its color was that 
of the puma, or American lion, although it was 
rather too small for that species. 

" The puma is not a common animal in the Amazons 
forests. I did not see altogether more than a dozen 
skins in the possession of the natives. The fur is of 
a fawn-color. The hunters are not at all afraid of it, 
and speak in disparaging terms of its courage. Of 
the jaguar they give a very different account." 

THE GREAT ANT-EATER. 

" The great ant-eater, tamandua of the natives, 
was not uncommon here. After the first few weeks 
of residence, I was short of fresh provisions. The 
people of the neighborhood had sold me all the fowls 
they could spare. I had not yet learned to eat the 



460 ELDORADO. 

stale and stringy salt fish which is the staple food of 
these places ; and for several days I had lived on 
rice-porridge, roasted bananas, and farinha. Plorinda 
asked me whether I could eat tamandua. I told her 
almost any thing in the shape of flesh would be ac- 
ceptable : so she went the next day with an old 
negro named Antonio, and the dogs, and, in the even- 
ing, brought one of the animals. The meat was 
stewed, and turned out very good, something like 
goose in flavor. The people of Caripi would not 
touch a morsel, saying it was not considered fit to eat 
in those parts. I had read, hoAvever, that it was an 
article of food in other countries of South America. 
During the next two or three weeks, whenever we 
were short of fresh meat, Antonio was always ready, 
for a small reward, to get me a tamandua. 

" The habits of the animal are now pretty well known. 
It has an excessively long, slender muzzle, and a 
worm-like, extensile tongue. Its jaws are destitute of 
teeth. The claws are much elongated, and its gait 
is very awkward. It lives on the ground, and feeds 
on termites, or white ants ; the long claws being em- 
ployed to pull in pieces the solid hillocks made by the 
insects, and the long flexible tongue to lick them up 
from the crevices." 



THE JAGUAR. 



THE JAGUAR. 



4G1 



Our traveller, though he resided long and in vari- 
ous parts of the Amazon country, never saw there a 
jaguar. How near he came to seeing one appears 
in the following extract. This animal is the nearest 
approach which America presents to the leopards and 
tigers of the Old World. 

'•'After walking about half a mile, we came upon a 
dry water-course, where we observed on the margin 
of a pond the fresh tracks of a jaguar. This dis- 
covery was hardly made, when a rush was heard 
amidst the bushes on the top of a sloping bank, on 
the opposite side of the dried creek. We bounded 
forward : it was, however, too late ; for the animal had 
sped in a few minutes far out of our reach. It was 
clear we had disturbed on our approach the jaguar 
while quenching his thirst at the water-hole. A few 
steps farther on, we saw the mangled remains of an 
alligator. The head, fure-quarters, and bony shell, 
were all that i^emained : but the meat was quite fresh, 
and there were many footmarks of the jaguar around 
the carcass; so that there was no doubt this had 
formed the solid part of the animal's breakfast." 



462 ELDOnADO. 



PAEA. 



" I arrived at Para on the 17tb of March, 1859, 
after an absence in the interior of seven years and 
a half. My old friends, English, American, and Bra- 
zilian, scarcely knew me again, but all gave me a 
very warm welcome. I found Pard greatly changed ■ 
and improved. It was no longer the weedy, ruinous, 
village-looking place that it had appeared when I first 
knew it in 1848. The population had been increased 
to twenty thousand by an influx of Portuguese, Ma- 
deiran, and German immigrants ; and, for many years 
past, the provincial government had spent their con- 
siderable surplus revenue in beautifying the city. 
The streets, formerly unpaved, or strewed with stones 
and sand, were now laid with concrete in a most 
complete manner : all the projecting masonry of the 
irregularly-built houses had been cleared away, and 
the buildings made more uniform. Most of the dilap- 
idated houses were replaced by handsome new edi- 
fices, liaving long and elegant balconies fronting the 
first floors, at an elevation of several feet above 
the roadway. The large swampy squares had been 
drained, weeded, and planted with rows of almond 
and other trees; so that they were now a great orna- 



PARA. 463 

ment to the city, instead of an eye-sore as they for- 
merly were. Sixty public vehicles, light cabriolets, 
some of them built in Para, now plied in the streets, in- 
creasing much the animation of the beautified squares, 
streets, and avenues. I was glad to see several new 
book-sellers' shops; also a fine edifice devoted to a 
reading-room, supplied with periodicals, globes, and 
maps ; and a circulating library. There were now 
man}^ printing-ofiices, and four daily newspapers. 
The health of the place had greatly improved since 
1850, — the year of the yellow-fever; and Parii was 
now considered no longer dangerous to new-comers. 

" So much for the improvements visible in the 
place ; and now for the dark side of the picture. The 
expenses of living had increased about fourfold ; a 
natural consequence of the demand for labor and for 
native products of all kinds having augmented in 
greater ratio than the supply, in consequence of 
large arrivals of non-productive resi(]ents, and con- 
siderable importations of mone}', on account of the 
steamboat-company and foreign merchants. 

"At length, on the 2d of June, I left Para, — 
probably forever. I took a last view of the glorious 
forest for which I had so much love, and to explore 
which I had devoted so many years. The saddest 



464 ELDORADO. 

hours I recollect ever to have spent were those of 
the succeeding night, when, the pilot having left us 
out of sight of land, though within the mouth of the 
river, waiting for a wind, I felt that the last link 
which connected me with the land of so many pleas- 
ing recollections was broken." 



THE END. 



Fegss of Geo. C. Rand & Avbry, No. 3, Coksuill, Boston. 



